E  TEXAN 
SCOUTS 


r 


JOSEPH  A. 
ALTSHELER 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 


By  Joseph  A.  Altsheler 

THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR  SERIES 

The  Hunters  of  the  HilU  The  Shadow  of  the  North 

The  Rulers  of  the  Lakes  The  Masters  of  the  Peak* 

The  Lords  of  the  Wild  The  Sun  of  Quebec 

THE  GREAT  WEST  SERIES 

The  Lost  Hunters  The  Great  Sioux  Trail 

THE  CIVIL  WAR  SERIES 

The  Guns  of  Bull  Run  The  Star  of  Gettysburg 

The  Guns  of  Shiloh  The  Rock  of  Chickamauga 

The  Scouts  of  Stonewall  The  Shades  of  the  Wildemeu 

The  Sword  of  An  tie  t  am  The  Tree  of  Appomattox 

THE  WORLD  WAR  SERIES 

The  Guns  of  Europe 
The  Forest  of  Swords  The  Hosts  of  the  Air 


THE  YOUNG  TRAILERS  SERIES 

The  Young  Trailers  The  Free  Rangers 

The  Forest  Runners  The  Riflemen  of  the  Ohio 

The  Keepers  of  the  Trail  The  Scouts  of  the  Valley 

The  Eyes  of  the  Woods  The  Border  Watch 

THE  TEXAN  SERIES 

The  Texan  Star 
The  Texan  Scouts  The  Texan  Triumph 

BOOKS  NOT  IN  SERIES 

Apache  Gold  A  Soldier  of  Manhattan 

The  Quest  of  the  Four  The  Sun  of  Saratoga 

The  Last  oc  the  Chiefs  A  Herald  of  the  West 

In  Circling  Camps  The  Wilderness  Road 

The  Last  Rebel  My  Captive 


D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY,  NEW  YORK 


"He  floundered  on  until  midnight. 


THE 
TEXAN    SCOUTS 

A   STORY  OF   THE  ALAMO  AND  OOLIAD 

BY 
JOSEPH  A.  ALTSHELER 


ILLUSTRATED 


D.APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 
NEW    YORK    AND    LONDON  :      1921 


COPYRIGHT,  1913,  BY 
D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


FOREWORD 

"THE  TEXAN  Scours,"  WHILE  A  COMPLETE  STORY  IN  ITSELF, 

CONTINUES  THE   FORTUNES   OF  NED    FULTON  AND    HIS  FRIENDS, 
WHO  WERE  THE  CENTRAL  CHARACTERS  IN  ".THE  TEXAN  STAR." 


772531 


CONTENTS 


I.  IN  THE  STORM x 

II.  THE  CAPTIVES 20 

III.  THE  FIGHT  WITH  URREA 37 

IV.  THE  CABIN  IN  THE  WOODS 56 

V.  SANTA  ANNA'S  ADVANCE 78 

VI.  FOR  FREEDOM'S   SAKE 97 

VII.  THE  HERALD  OF  ATTACK 113 

VIII.  IN  THE  ALAMO 129 

IX.  THE  FLAG  OF  No  QUARTER 146 

X.  CROCKETT  AND  BOWIE 161 

XI.  THE  DESPERATE  DEFENCE 178 

-  XII.  BEFORE  THE  DICTATOR 198 

XIII.  To  THE  LAST  MAN 219 

XIV.  THE  NEWS  OF  THE  FALL 243 

XV.  IN  ANOTHER  TRAP 261 

XVI.  FANNIN'S  CAMP 281 

XVII.  THE   SAD  SURRENDER 298 

XVIII.  THE  BLACK  TRAGEDY 318 

XIX.  THE  RACE  FOR  THE  BOAT 330 

XX.  THE  CRY  FOR  VENGEANCE 351 


THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 


CHAPTER  I 
IN  THE  STORM 

THE  horseman  rode  slowly  toward  the  west,  stop- 
ping once  or  twice  to  examine  the  wide  circle  of 
the  horizon  with  eyes  that  were  trained  to  note 
every  aspect  of  the  wilderness.  On  his  right  the  plains 
melted  away  in  gentle  swell  after  swell,  until  they  met 
the  horizon.  Their  brown  surface  was  broken  only  by 
the  spiked  and  thorny  cactus  and  stray  bits  of  chaparral. 

On  his  left  was  the  wide  bed  of  a  river  which  flowed 
through  the  sand,  breaking  here  and  there  into  several 
streams,  and  then  reuniting,  only  to  scatter  its  volume 
a  hundred  yards  further  into  three  or  four  channels.  A 
bird  of  prey  flew  on  strong  wing  over  the  water,  dipped 
and  then  rose  again,  but  there  was  no  other  sign  of  life. 
Beyond,  the  country  southward  rolled  away,  gray  and 
bare,  sterile  and  desolate. 

The  horseman  looked  most  often  into  the  south.  His 
glances  into  the  north  were  few  and  brief,  but  his  eyes 
dwelled  long  on  the  lonely  land  that  lay  beyond  the 
yellow  current  His  was  an  attractive  face.  He  was 
young,  only  a  boy,  but  the  brow  was  broad  and  high, 
and  the  eyes,  grave  and  steady,  were  those  of  one  who 
thought  much.  He  was  clad  completely  in  buckskin,  and 
his  hat  was  wide  of  brim.  A  rifle  held  in  one  hand  lay 


2  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

across  the  pommel  of  his  saddle  and  there  were  weapons 
in  his  belt.  Two  light,  but  warm,  blankets,  folded  closely, 
were  tied  behind  him.  The  tanned  face  and  the  lithe, 
strong  figure  showed  a  wonderful  degree  of  health  and 
strength. 

Several  hours  passed  and  the  horseman  rode  on  stead- 
ily though  slowly.  His  main  direction  was  toward  the 
west,  and  always  he  kept  the  river  two  or  three  hun- 
dred yards  on  his  left.  He  never  failed  to  search  the 
plains  on  either  side,  but  chiefly  in  the  south,  with  the 
eager,  intent  gaze  that  missed  nothing.  But  the  lone- 
some gray  land,  cut  by  the  coiling  yellow  river,  still  rolled 
before  him,  and  its  desolation  and  chill  struck  to  his 
heart.  It  was  the  depth  of  the  Texan  winter,  and,  at 
times,  icy  gusts,  born  in  far  mountains,  swept  across  the 
plains. 

The  rider  presently  turned  hi§  horse  toward  the  river 
and  stopped  on  a  low  bluff  overlooking  it.  His  face 
showed  a  tinge  of  disappointment,  as  if  his  eyes  failed 
to  find  objects  for  which  they  sought.  Again  he  gazed 
long  and  patiently  into  the  south,  but  without  reward. 

He  resumed  his  ride  parallel  with  the  river,  but  soon 
stopped  a  second  time,  and  held  up  an  open  hand,  like 
one  who  tests  the  wind.  The  air  was  growing  percep- 
tibly tolder.  The  strong  gusts  were  now  fusing  into  a 
steady  wind.  The  day,  which  had  not  been  bright  at 
any  time,  was  turning  darker.  The  sun  was  gone  and 
in  the  far  north  banks  of  mists  and  vapor  were  gather- 
ing. A  dreary  moaning  came  over  the  plain. 

Ned  Fulton,  tried  and  brave  though  he  was,  beheld 
the  omens  with  alarm.  He  knew  what  they  portended, 
and  in  all  that  vast  wilderness  he  was  alone.  Not  a 
human  being  to  share  the  danger  with  him !  Not  a  hand 
to  help! 


IN   THE   STORM  3 

He  looked  for  chaparral,  something  that  might  serve 
as  a  sort  of  shelter,  but  he  had  left  the  last  clump  of  it 
behind,  and  now  he  turned  and  rode  directly  north,  hop- 
ing that  he  might  find  some  deep  depression  between 
the  swells  where  he  and  his  horse,  in  a  fashion,  could 
hide. 

Meanwhile  the  Norther  came  down  with  astonishing 
speed.  The  temperature  fell  like  a  plummet.  The  moan 
of  the  wind  rose  to  a  shriek,  and  cold  clouds  of  dust 
were  swept  against  Ned  and  his  horse.  Then  snow 
mingled  with  the  dust  and  both  beat  upon  them.  Ned 
felt  his  horse  shivering  under  him,  and  he  shivered,  too, 
despite  his  will.  It  had  turned  so  dark  that  he  could  no 
longer  tell  where  he  was  going,  and  he  used  the  wide 
brim  of  his  hat  to  protect  himself  from  the  sand. 

Soon  it  was  black  as  night,  and  the  snow  was  driving 
in  a  hurricane.  The  wind,  unchecked  by  forest  or  hill, 
screamed  with  a  sound  almost  human.  Ned  dismounted 
and  walked  in  the  lee  of  his  horse.  The  animal  turned 
his  head  and  nuzzled  his  master,  as  if  he  could  give  him 
warmth. 

Ned  hoped  that  the  storm  would  blow  itself  out  in  an 
hour  or  two,  but  his  hope  was  vain.  The  darkness  did 
not  abate.  The  wind  rose  instead  of  falling,  and  the 
snow  thickened.  It  lay  on  the  plain  several  inches  deep, 
and  the  walking  grew  harder.  At  last  the  two,  the  boy 
and  the  horse,  stopped.  Ned  knew  that  they  had  come 
into  some  kind  of  a  depression,  and  the  full  force  of  the 
hurricane  passed  partly  over  their  heads. 

It  was  yet  very  dark,  and  the  driving  snow  scarcely 
permitted  him  to  open  his  eyes,  but  by  feeling  about  a 
little  he  found  that  one  side  of  the  dip  was  covered  with 
a  growth  of  dwarf  bushes.  He  led  the  horse  into  the 
lower  edge  of  these,  where  some  protection  was  secured, 


4  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

and,  crouching  once  more  in  the  lee  of  the  animal,  he  un- 
folded the  two  blankets,  which  he  wrapped  closely  about 
himself  to  the  eyes. 

Ned,  for  the  first  time  since  the  Norther  rushed  down 
upon  him,  felt  secure.  He  would  not  freeze  to  death, 
he  would  escape  the  fate  that  sometimes  overtook  lone 
hunters  or  travelers  upon  those  vast  plains.  Warmth 
from  the  blankets  began  gradually  to  replace  the  chill 
in  his  bones,  and  the  horse  and  the  bushes  together  pro- 
tected his  face  from  the  driven  snow  which  had  been 
cutting  like  hail.  He  even  had,  in  some  degree,  the 
sense  of  comfort  which  one  feels  when  safe  inside  four 
walls  with  a  storm  raging  past  the  windows.  The  horse 
whinnied  once  and  rubbed  his  nose  against  Ned's  hand. 
He,  too,  had  ceased  to  shiver. 

All  that  afternoon  the  Norther  blew  with  undimin- 
ished  violence.  After  a  while  the  fall  of  snow  thinned 
somewhat,  but  the  wind  did  not  decrease.  Ned  was  de- 
voutly thankful  for  the  dip  and  the  bushes  that  grew 
within  it.  Nor  was  he  less  thankful  for  the  companion- 
ship of  his  horse.  It  was  a  good  horse,  a  brave  horse, 
a  great  bay  mustang,  built  powerfully  and  with  sinews 
and  muscles  of  steel.  He  had  secured  him  just  after 
taking  part  in  the  capture  of  San  Antonio  with  his  com- 
rades, Obed  White  and  the  Ring  Tailed  Panther,  and 
already  the  tie  between  horse  and  rider  had  become 
strong  and  enduring.  Ned  stroked  him  again,  and  the 
horse,  twisting  his  neck  around,  thrust  his  nose  under 
his  arm. 

"Good  old  boy !  Good  fellow !"  said  Ned,  pinching  his 
ear.  "We  were  lucky,  you  and  I,  to  find  this  place." 

The  horse  neighed  ever  so  gently,  and  rubbed  his  nose 
up  and  down.  After  a  while  the  darkness  began  to  in- 
crease. Ned  knew  that  it  was  not  a  new  development  of 


IN   THE   STORM  5 

the  storm,  but  the  coming  of  night,  and  he  grew  anxious 
again.  He  and  his  horse,  however  secure  at  the  present 
moment,  could  not  stay  always  in  that  dip  among  the 
bushes.  Yet  he  did  not  dare  to  leave  it.  Above  on  the 
plain  they  would  receive  the  full  sweep  of  the  wind, 
which  was  still  bitterly  cold. 

He  was  worn  by  the  continued  bufferings  of  blast  and 
snow,  but  he  did  not  dare  to  lie  down,  even  in  the 
blankets,  lest  he  never  wake  again,  and  while  he  con- 
sidered he  saw  darker  shadows  in  the  darkness  above 
him.  He  gazed,  all  attention,  and  counted  ten  shadows, 
following  one  another,  a  dusky  file.  He  knew  by  the 
set  of  their  figures,  short  and  stocky,  that  they  were 
Mexicans,  and  his  heart  beat  heavily.  These  were  the 
first  Mexicans  that  any  one  had  seen  on  Texan  soil  since 
the  departure  of  Cos  and  his  army  on  parole  from  cap- 
tured San  Antonio.  So  the  Mexicans  had  come  back, 
and  no  doubt  they  would  return  in  great  force! 

Ned  crouched  lower,  and  he  was  very  glad  that  the 
nose  of  the  horse  was  still  under  his  arm.  He  would  not 
have  a  chance  to  whinny  to  his  kind  that  bore  the  Mexi- 
cans. But  the  horse  made  no  attempt  to  move,  and  Ned 
watched  them  pass  on  and  out  of  sight.  He  had  not 
heard  the  sound  of  footsteps  or  voices  above  the  wind, 
and  after  they  were  gone  it  seemed  to  him  that  he  had 
seen  a  line  of  phantoms. 

But  he  was  sure  that  his  own  mortal  eyes  had  be- 
held that  for  which  he  was  looking.  He  and  his  com- 
rades had  been  watching  the  Rio  Grande  to  see  whether 
the  Mexicans  had  crossed,  and  now  he  at  least  knew  it. 

He  waited  patiently  three  or  four  hours  longer,  until 
the  wind  died  and  the  fall  of  snow  ceased,  when  he 
mounted  his  horse  and  rode  out  of  the  dip.  The  wind 
suddenly  sprang  up  again  in  about  fifteen  minutes,  but 


6  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

now  it  blew  from  the  south  and  was  warm.  The  dark- 
ness thinned  away  as  the  moon  and  stars  came  out  in  a 
perfect  sky  of  southern  blue.  The  temperature  rose 
many  degrees  in  an  hour  and  Ned  knew  that  the  snow 
would  melt  fast.  All  danger  of  freezing  was  past,  but 
he  was  as  hungry  as  a  bear  and  tired  to  death. 

He  unwrapped  the  blankets  from  his  body,  folded  them 
again  in  a  small  package  which  he  made  fast  to  his 
saddle,  and  once  more  stroked  the  nose  of  his  horse. 

"Good  Old  Jack,"  he  murmured — he  had  called  him 
Old  Jack  after  Andrew  Jackson,  then  a  mighty  hero  of 
the  south  and  west,  "you  passed  through  the  ordeal  and 
never  moved,  like  the  silent  gentleman  that  you  are." 

Old  Jack  whinnied  ever  so  softly,  and  rubbed  his  nose 
against  the  boy's  coat  sleeve.  Ned  mounted  him  and 
rode  out  of  the  dip,  pausing  at  the  top  of  the  swell  for 
a  long  look  in  every  direction.  The  night  was  now  peace- 
ful and  there  was  no  noise,  save  for  the  warm  wind  that 
blew  out  of  the  south  with  a  gentle  sighing  sound  al- 
most like  the  note  of  music.  Trickles  of  water  from  the 
snow,  already  melting,  ran  down  the  crests.  Lighter 
and  lighter  grew  the  sky.  The  moon  seemed  to  Ned  to 
be  poised  directly  overhead,  and  close  by.  New  stars 
were  springing  out  as  the  last  clouds  floated  away. 

Ned  sought  shelter,  warmth  and  a  place  in  which  to 
sleep,  and  to  secure  these  three  he  felt  that  he  must  seek 
timber.  The  scouts  whom  he  had  seen  were  probably 
the  only  Mexicans  north  of  the  Rio  Grande,  and,  as  he 
believed,  there  was  not  one  chance  in  a  thousand  of 
meeting  such  enemies  again.  If  he  should  be  so  lucky 
as  to  find  shelter  he  would  sleep  there  without  fear. 

He  rode  almost  due  north  for  more  than  two  hours, 
seeing  patches  of  chaparral  on  both  right  and  left.  But, 
grown  fastidious  now  and  not  thinking  them  sufficient 


IN   THE   STORM  7 

for  his  purpose,  he  continued  his  northern  course.  Old 
Jack's  feet  made  a  deep  sighing  sound  as  they  sank  in 
the  snow,  and  now  there  was  water  everywhere  as  that 
soft  but  conquering  south  wind  blew  steadily  over  the 
plain. 

When  he  saw  a  growth  of  timber  rising  high  and  dark 
upon  a  swell  he  believed  that  he  had  found  his  place,  and 
he  urged  his  horse  to  renewed  speed.  The  trees  proved 
to  be  pecans,  aspens  and  oaks  growing  so  densely  that 
he  was  compelled  to  dismount  and  lead  Old  Jack  before 
they  could  force  an  entrance.  Inside  he  found  a  clear 
space,  somewhat  like  the  openings  of  the  north,  in  shape 
an  irregular  circle,  but  not  more  than  fifteen  feet  across. 
Great  spreading  boughs  of  oaks  had  protected  it  so  well 
that  but  little  snow  had  fallen  there,  and  that  little  had 
melted.  Already  the  ground  in  the  circle  was  drying. 

Ned  uttered  an  exclamation  of  relief  and  gratitude. 
This  would  be  his  camp,  and  to  one  used  to  living  in  the 
wilderness  it  furnished  good  shelter.  At  one  edge  of  the 
opening  was  an  outcropping  of  flat  rock  now  quite  dry, 
and  there  he  would  spread  his  bed.  He  unsaddled  and 
unbridled  his  horse,  merely  tethering  him  with  a  lariat, 
and  spread  the  horse  blanket  upon  the  flat  rock.  He 
would  lie  upon  this  and  cover  himself  with  his  own 
blankets,  using  the  saddle  as  a  pillow. 

But  the  security  of  the  covert  tempted  the  boy,  who 
was  now  as  hungry  as  a  bear  just  come  from  winter 
quarters.  He  felt  weak  and  relaxed  after  his  long  hours 
in  the  snow  and  storm,  and  he  resolved  to  have  warm 
food  and  drink. 

There  was  much  fallen  wood  among  the  trees,  and  with 
his  strong  hunting  knife  he  whittled  off  the  bark  and 
thin  dry  shavings  until  he  had  a  fine  heap.  Working 
long  with  flint  and  steel,  he  managed  to  set  fire  to  the 


8  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

shavings,  and  then  he  fed  the  flames  with  larger  pieces 
of  wood  until  he  had  a  great  bed  of  glowing  coals.  A 
cautious  wilderness  rover,  learning  always  from  his  tried 
friends,  Ned  never  rode  the  plains  without  his  traveling 
equipment,  and  now  he  drew  from  his  pack  a  small  tin 
coffee  pot  and  tiny  cup  of  the  same  material.  Then  with 
quick  and  skillful  hands  he  made  coffee  over  the  coals 
and  warmed  strips  of  deer  and  buffalo  meat. 

He  ate  and  drank  hungrily,  while  the  horse  nibbled 
the  grass  that  grew  within  the  covert.  Glorious  warmth 
came  again  and  the  worn  feeling  departed.  Life,  youth- 
ful, fresh  and  abounding,  swelled  in  every  vein. 

He  now  put  out  all  the  coals  carefully,  throwing  wet 
leaves  upon  them,  in  order  that  not  a  single  spark  might 
shine  through  the  trees  to  be  seen  by  an  enemy  upon  the 
plain  He  relied  upon  the  horse  to  give  warning  of  a 
possible  approach  by  man,  and  to  keep  away  wolves 

Then  he  made  his  bed  upon  the  rock,  doing  every- 
thing  as  he  had  arranged  it  in  his  mind  an  hour  before 
and,  wrapped  in  his  blankets,  fell  into  the  soundest  of 
sleeps     The  south  wind  still  blew  steadily,  playing  a  low 
musical  song  among  the  trees.    The  beads  of  water  on 
the  twigs  and  the  few  leaves  that  remained  dried  fast 
The  grass  dried,  too,  and  beyond  the  covert  the  snow 
so  qmck  to  come,  was  equally  quick  to  go 
The  horse  ceased  to  nibble  the  grass,  looked  at  the 


nwa  s  « 

and  walked  to  the  other  side  of  the  opening,  where  he 

lay  down  and  went  to  his  own  horse  heaven  of  sleep 


IN  THE  STORM  9 

who  was  in  reality  Young  Jack,  as  his  years  were  not 
yet  four,  did  not  think  so  much  of  the  covert  now,  as  he 
had  already  eaten  away  all  the  grass  within  the  little 
opening  but  his  sense  of  duty  was  strong.  He  saw  that 
his  human  master  and  comrade  still  slept,  apparently 
with  no  intention  of  awakening  at  any  very  early  date, 
and  he  set  himself  to  gleaning  stray  blades  of  grass  that 
might  have  escaped  his  notice  the  night  before. 

Ned  awoke  a  little  after  the  noon  hour,  and  sprang  to 
his  feet  in  dismay.  The  sun  was  almost  directly  over 
his  head,  showing  him  how  late  it  was.  He  looked  at  his 
horse  as  if  to  reproach  his  good  comrade  for  not  waking 
him  sooner,  but  Old  Jack's  large  mild  eyes  gave  him 
such  a  gaze  of  benignant  unconcern  that  the  boy  was 
ashamed  of  himself. 

"It  certainly  was  not  your  fault,"  he  said  to  his  horse, 
"and,  after  all,  it  probably  doesn't  matter.  We've  had 
a  long  sound  sleep  and  rest,  and  I've  no  doubt  that  both 
of  us  will  profit  by  it.  Nothing  seems  to  be  left  in  here 
for  you  to  eat,  but  I'll  take  a  little  breakfast  myself." 

He  did  not  relight  the  fire,  but  contented  himself  with 
cold  food.  Then  resaddling,  he  left  the  grove  and  rode 
northward  again  until  he  came  to  a  hill,  or,  rather,  a 
swell,  that  was  higher  than  the  rest.  Here  he  stopped 
his  horse  and  took  a  glance  at  the  sun,  which  was  shin- 
ing with  uncommon  brilliancy.  Then  he  produced  a 
small  mirror  from  the  pocket  of  his  hunting  shirt  and 
held  it  in  such  a  position  that  it  made  a  focus  of  the 
sun's  rays,  throwing  them  in  a  perfect  blazing  lance 
of  light. 

He  turned  the  flaming  lance  around  the  horizon,  until 
it  completed  the  circle  and  then  he  started  around  with 
it  again.  Meantime  he  was  keeping  a  close  watch  upon 
every  high  point.  A  hill  rose  in  the  north,  and  he  looked 


io  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

at  it  longest,  but  nothing  came  from  it.  There  was  an- 
other, but  lower,  hill  in  the  west,  and  before  he  had 
completed  the  second  round  with  his  glass  a  light  flashed 
from  it.  It  was  a  brilliant  light,  almost  like  a  sheaf  of 
white  incandescent  rays.  He  lowered  his  own  mirror 
and  the  light  played  directly  upon  his  hill.  When  it 
ceased  he  sent  back  answering  rays,  to  which,  when  he 
stopped,  a  rejoinder  came  in  like  fashion.  Then  he  put 
the  little  mirror  back  in  the  safe  pocket  of  his  hunting 
shirt  and  rode  with  perfect  confidence  toward  that  west- 
ern hill. 

The  crest  that  Ned  sought  was  several  miles  away, 
although  it  looked  much  nearer  in  the  thin  clear  air  of 
the  plains,  but  he  rode  now  at  increased  speed,  because 
there  was  much  to  draw  him  on.  Old  Jack  seemed  to 
share  in  his  lightness  of  spirit,  raising  his  head  once 
and  neighing,  as  if  he  were  sending  forth  a  welcome. 

The  boy  soon  saw  two  figures  upon  the  hill,  the  shapes 
of  horse  and  man,  outlined  in  black  against  the  sun, 
which  was  now  declining  in  the  west.  They  were  mo- 
tionless and  they  were  exaggerated  into  gigantic  stature 
against  the  red  background.  Ned  knew  them,  although 
the  distance  was  far  too  great  to  disclose  any  feature. 
But  signal  had  spoken  truly  to  signal,  and  that  was 
enough.  Old  Jack  made  a  fresh  burst  of  speed  and 
presently  neighed  once  more.  An  answering  neigh  came 
back  from  the  hill. 

Ned  rode  up  the  slope  and  greeted  Obed  White  and 
the  Ring  Tailed  Panther  with  outstretched  hands. 

"And  it's  you,"my  boy,"  said  Obed,  his  eyes  glistening. 
"Until  we  saw  your  signal  we  were  afraid  that  you  might 
have  frozen  to  death  in  the  Norther,  but  it's  a  long  lane 
that  has  no  happy  ending,  and  here  we  are,  all  three  of 
us,  alive,  and  as  well  as  ever." 


IN   THE   STORM  n 

"That's  so,"  said  the  Panther,  "but  even  when  the 
storm  was  at  its  worst  I  didn't  give  up,  Ned.  Somehow, 
when  things  are  at  the  blackest  I'm  always  hopin'.  I 
don't  take  any  credit  fur  it  I  was  just  born  with  that 
kind  of  a  streak  in  me." 

Ned  regarded  him  with  admiration.  The  Ring  Tailed 
Panther  was  certainly  a  gorgeous  object.  He  rode  a 
great  black  horse  with  a  flowing  mane.  He  was  clad 
completely  in  a  suit  of  buckskin  which  was  probably 
without  a  match  on  the  border.  It  and  his  moccasins 
were  adorned  with  thick  rows  of  beads  of  many  colors, 
that  glittered  and  flashed  as  the  sunlight  played  upon 
them.  Heavy  silver  spurs  were  fastened  to  his  heels, 
and  his  hat  of  broad  brim  and  high  cone  in  the  Mexican 
fashion  was  heavy  with  silver  braid.  His  saddle  also 
was  of  the  high,  peaked  style,  studded  with  silver.  The 
Panther  noticed  Ned's  smile  of  appraisement  and  smiled 
back. 

"Ain't  it  fine?"  he  said.  "I  guess  this  is  about  the 
beautifullest  outfit  to  be  found  in  either  Texas  or  Mexico. 
I  bought  it  all  in  honor  of  our  victory  just  after  we  took 
San  Antonio,  and  it  soothes  my  eyes  and  makes  my  heart 
strong  every  time  I  look  at  it." 

"And  it  helps  out  the  prairies,"  said  Obed  White,  his 
eyes  twinkling.  "Now  that  winter  has  made  'em  brown, 
they  need  a  dash  of  color  and  the  Panther  gives  it  to  'em. 
Fine  feathers  don't  keep  a  man  from  being  a  man  for  a' 
that.  What  did  you  do  in  the  storm,  Ned?" 

"I  found  shelter  in  a  thick  grove,  managed  to  light  a 
fire,  and  slept  there  in  my  blankets." 

"We  did  about  the  same." 

"But  I  saw  something  before  I  reached  my  shelter." 

"What  was  that?"  exclaimed  the  two,  noting  the  sig- 
nificance in  Ned's  tone. 


12  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"While  I  was  waiting  in  a  dip  I  saw  ten  Mexican 
horsemen  ride  by.  They  were  heavily  armed,  and  I've 
no  doubt  they  were  scouts  belonging  to  some  strong 
force." 

"And  so  they  are  back  on  this  side  of  the  Rio  Grande," 
said  Obed  White  thoughtfully.  "I'm  not  surprised.  Our 
Texans  have  rejoiced  too  early.  The  full  storm  has  not 
burst  yet." 

The  Panther  began  to  bristle.  A  giant  in  size,  he 
seemed  to  grow  larger,  and  his  gorgeous  hunting  suit 
strained  at  the  seams. 

"Let  'em  come  on,"  he  said  menacingly.  "Let  Santa 
Anna  himself  lead  'em.  We  Texans  can  take  care  of 
'em  all." 

But  Obed  White  shook  his  head  sadly. 

"We  could  if  we  were  united,"  he  said,  "but  our  lead- 
ers have  taken  to  squabbling.  You're  a  Cheerful  Talker, 
Panther,  and  you  deserve  both  your  names,  but  to  tell 
you  the  honest  truth  I'm  afraid  of  the  Mexican  advance." 

"I  think  the  Mexicans  probably  belonged  to  Urrea's 
band,"  said  Ned. 

"Very  likely,"  said  Obed.  "He's  about  the  most  ener- 
getic of  their  partisan  leaders,  and  it  may  be  that  we'll 
run  against  him  pretty  soon." 

They  had  heard  in  their  scouting  along  the  Rio  Grande 
that  young  Francisco  Urrea,  after  the  discovery  that  he 
was  a  spy  and  his  withdrawal  from  San  Antonio  with 
the  captured  army  of  Cos,  had  organized  a  strong  force 
of  horsemen  and  was  foremost  among  those  who  were 
urging  a  new  Mexican  advance  into  Texas. 

"It's  pretty  far  west  for  the  Mexicans,"  said  the  Pan- 
ther. "We're  on  the  edge  of  the  Indian  country  here." 

But  Obed  considered  it  all  the  more  likely  that  Urrea, 
if  he  meditated  a  raid,  would  come  from  the  west, 


IN   THE   STORM  13 

since  his  approach  at  that  point  would  be  suspected 
the  least.  The  three  held  a  brief  discussion  and  soon 
came  to  an  agreement.  They  would  continue  their 
own  ride  west  and  look  for  Urrea.  Having  decided 
so,  they  went  into  the  task  heart  and  soul,  despite  its 
dangers. 

The  three  rode  side  by  side  and  three  pairs  of  skilled 
eyes  examined  the  plain.  The  snow  was  left  only  in 
sheltered  places  or  among  the  trees.  But  the  further 
they  went  the  scarcer  became  the  trees,  and  before  night 
they  disappeared  entirely. 

"We  are  comin'  upon  the  buffalo  range,"  said  the 
Panther.  "A  hundred  miles  further  west  we'd  be  likely 
to  strike  big  herds.  When  we're  through  fightin'  the 
Mexicans  I'm  goin'  out  there  again.  It's  the  life  fur  me." 

The  night  came,  dark  and  cold,  but  fortunately  without 
wind.  They  camped  in  a  dip  and  did  not  light  any  fire, 
lying  as  Ned  had  done  the  night  before  on  their  horse 
blankets  and  wrapping  themselves  in  their  own.  The 
three  horses  seemed  to  be  contented  with  one  another 
and  made  no  noise. 

They  deemed  it  wise  now  to  keep  a  watch,  as  they 
might  be  near  Urrea's  band  or  Lipans  might  pass,  and 
the  Panther,  who  said  he  was  not  sleepy  at  all,  became 
sentinel.  Ned,  although  he  had  not  risen  until  noon,  was 
sleepy  again  from  the  long  ride,  and  his  eyes  closed  soon. 
The  last  object  that  he  saw  was  the  Panther  standing  on 
the  crest  of  the  swell  just  beyond  them,  rifle  on  shoulder, 
watching  the  moonlit  plains.  Obed  White  was  asleep 
already. 

The  Panther  walked  back  and  forth  a  few  times  and 
then  looked  down  at  his  comrades  in  the  dip.  His 
trained  eyes  saw  their  chests  rising  and  falling,  and  he 
knew  that  they  were  far  away  in  the  land  of*Nowhere. 


I4  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

Then  he  extended  his  walk  back  and  forth  a  little  further, 
scanning  carefully  the  dusky  plain. 

A  light  wind  sprang  up  after  a  while,  and  it  brought  a 
low  but  heavy  and  measured  tread  to  his  ears.  The 
Panther's  first  impulse  was  to  awaken  his  friends,  be- 
cause this  might  be  the  band  of  Urrea,  but  he  hesitated 
a  moment,  and  then  lay  down  with  his  ear  to  the  earth. 
When  he  rose  his  uneasiness  had  departed  and  he  re- 
sumed his  walk  back  and  forth.  He  had  heard  that 
tread  before  many  times  and,  now  that  it  was  coming 
nearer,  he  could  not  mistake  it,  but,  as  the  measured 
beat  indicated  that  it  would  pass  to  one  side,  it  bore  no 
threat  for  his  comrades  or  himself. 

The  Panther  did  not  stop  his  walk  as  from  a  distance 
of  a  few  hundred  yards  he  watched  the  great  buffalo  herd 
go  by.  The  sound  was  so  steady  and  regular  that  Ned 
and  Obed  were  not  awakened  nor  were  the  horses  dis- 
turbed. The  buffaloes  showed  a  great  black  mass  across 
the  plain,  extending  for  fully  a  mile,  and  they  were  mov- 
ing north  at  an  even  gait.  The  Panther  watched  until 
the  last  had  passed,  and  he  judged  that  there  were  fully 
a  hundred  thousand  animals  in  the  herd.  He  saw  also 
the  big  timber  wolves  hanging  on  the  rear  and  flanks, 
ready  to  cut  out  stray  calves  or  those  weak  from  old  age. 
So  busy  were  the  wolves  seeking  a  chance  that  they  did 
not  notice  the  gigantic  figure  of  the  man,  rifle  on  shoul- 
der, who  stood  on  the  crest  of  the  swell  looking  at  them 
as  they  passed. 

The  Panther's  eyes  followed  the  black  line  of  the  herd 
until  it  disappeared  under  the  northern  rim  of  darkness. 
He  was  wondering  why  the  buffaloes  were  traveling  so 
steadily  after  daylight  and  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  impelling  motive  was  not  a  search  for  new  pastures. 
He  listened  a  long  time  until  the  last  rumble  of  the  him- 


IN   THE   STORM  15 

dred  thousand  died  away  in  a  faint  echo,  and  then  he 
awakened  his  comrades. 

"I'm  thinkin',"  he  said,  "that  the  presence  of  Urrea's 
band  made  the  buffaloes  move.  Now  I'm  not  a  Ring 
Tailed  Panther  an'  a  Cheerful  Talker  for  nothin',  an'  we 
want  to  hunt  that  band.  Like  as  not  they've  been  doin' 
some  mischief,  which  we  may  be  able  partly  to  undo. 
I'm  in  favor  of  ridin'  south,  back  on  the  herd  track  an' 
lookin'  for  'em." 

"So  am  I,"  said  Obed  White.  "My  watch  says  it's 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  my  watch  is  always 
right,  because  I  made  it  myself.  We've  had  a  pretty 
good  rest,  enough  to  go  on,  and  what  we  find  may  be 
worth  finding.  A  needle  in  a  haystack  may  be  well  hid, 
but  you'll  find  it  if  you  look  long  enough." 

They  rode  almost  due  south  in  the  great  path  made 
by  the  buffalo  herd,  not  stopping  for  a  full  two  hours, 
when  a  halt  was  made  at  a  signal  from  the  Panther. 
They  were  in  a  wide  plain,  where  buffalo  grass  yet  grew 
despite  the  winter,  and  the  Panther  said  with  authority 
that  the  herd  had  been  grazing  here  before  it  was  started 
on  its  night  journey  into  the  north. 

"An'  if  we  ride  about  this  place  long  enough,"  he  said, 
"we'll  find  the  reason  why  the  buffaloes  left  it." 

He  turned  his  horse  in  a  circuit  of  the  plain  and  Ned 
and  Obed  followed  the  matchless  tracker,  who  was  able, 
even  in  the  moonlight,  to  note  any  disturbance  of  the 
soil.  Presently  he  uttered  a  little  cry  and  pointed  ahead. 
Both  saw  the  skeleton  of  a  buffalo  which  evidently 
had  been  killed  not  long  and  stripped  of  its  meat. 
A  little  further  on  they  saw  another  and  then  two 
more. 

"That  tells  it,"  said  the  Panther  succinctly.  "These 
buffaloes  were  killed  for  food  an'  most  likely  by  Mexi- 


16  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

cans.  It  was  the  shots  that  set  the  herd  to  runnin'.  The 
men  who  killed  'em  are  not  far  away,  an'  I'm  not  a  Ring 
Tailed  Panther  an'  a  Cheerful  Talker  if  they  don't  belong 
to  Urrea's  band." 

"Isn't  that  a  light?"  said  Ned,  pointing  to  the  west, 
"or  is  it  a  firefly  or  something  of  the  kind  ?" 

A  glowing  spark  was  just  visible  over  the  plain,  but  as 
it  neither  moved  nor  went  out  the  three  concluded  that 
it  was  made  by  a  distant  fire. 

"I  think  it's  in  chaparral  or  among  trees,"  said  Obed, 
"or  we  would  see  it  more  plainly.  It's  a  poor  camp  fire 
that  hides  its  light  under  a  bushel." 

"I  think  you're  right  an'  it  must  be  chaparral,"  said 
the  Panther.  "But  we'll  ride  toward  it  an'  soon  answer 
our  own  questions." 

The  light  was  more  than  a  mile  away  and,  as  they  ad- 
vanced slowly,  they  saw  it  grow  in  size  and  intensity. 
It  was  surely  a  campfire,  but  no  sound  that  they  could 
yet  hear  came  from  it.  They  did  not  expect  to  hear  any. 
If  it  was  indeed  Urrea  and  his  men  they  would  probably 
be  sleeping  soundly,  not  expecting  any  foe  to  be  near. 
The  Panther  now  dismounted,  and  the  other  two  did 
likewise. 

"No  need  to  show  too  high  above  the  plain,"  he  said, 
"an'  if  we  have  to  run  it  won't  take  a  second  to  jump 
back  on  our  horses." 

Ned  did  not  take  the  bridle  of  his  horse  as  the  others 
did.  He  knew  that  Old  Jack  would  follow  as  faithful  as 
any  dog  to  his  master,  and  he  was  right.  As  they  ad- 
vanced slowly  the  velvet  nose  more  than  once  pressed 
trustfully  against  his  elbow. 

They  saw  now  that  an  extensive  growth  of  chaparral 
rose  before  them,  from  the  center  of  which  the  light 
seemed  to  be  shining.  The  Panther  lay  down  on  tb* 


IN   THE   STORM  17 

prairie,  put  his  car  to  the  ground,  and  listened  a  long 
time. 

"I  think  I  hear  the  feet  of  horses  movin'  now  an' 
then,"  he  said,  "an'  if  so,  one  of  us  had  better  stay  behin' 
with  ours.  A  horse  of  theirs  might  neigh  an'  a  horse 
of  ours  might  answer.  You  can't  tell.  Obed,  I  guess 
it'll  be  for  you  to  stay.  You've  got  a  most  soothin'  dis- 
position with  animals." 

"All  right,"  said  Obed  philosophically,  "I'd  rather  go 
on,  but,  if  it's  better  for  me  to  stay,  I'll  stay.  They  also 
serve  who  stand  and  hold  the  reins.  If  you  find  you've 
got  to  leave  in  a  hurry  I'll  be  here  waiting." 

He  gathered  up  the  reins  of  the  three  horses  and  re- 
mained quietly  on  the  plain,  while  Ned  and  the  Panther 
went  forward,  making  straight  for  the  light. 

When  they  came  to  the  edge  of  the  chaparral  they 
knelt  among  the  bushes  and  listened.  Now  both  dis- 
tinctly heard  the  occasional  movement  of  horses,  and 
they  saw  the  dusky  outlines  of  several  figures  before  the 
fire,  which  was  about  three  hundred  yards  away. 

"They  are  bound  to  be  Mexicans,"  whispered  the 
Panther,  "  'cause  there  are  no  Texans  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  an'  you  an*  me,  Ned,  must  find  out  just  who 
they  are." 

"You  lead  the  way,  Panther,"  said  Ned.  "I'll  follow 
wherever  you  go." 

"Then  be  mighty  careful.  Look  out  for  the  thorns 
an'  don't  knock  your  rifle  against  any  bush." 

The  Panther  lay  almost  flat.  His  huge  figure  seemed 
to  blend  with  the  earth,  and  he  crept  forward  among  the 
thorny  bushes  with  amazing  skill.  He  was  like  some 
large  animal,  trained  for  countless  generations  to  slip 
through  thickets.  Ned,  just  behind  him,  could  hear  only 
the  faintest  noise,  and  the  bushes  moved  so  little  that 


18  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

one,  not  knowing,  might  have  credited  it  to  the  wind. 

The  boy  had  the  advantage  of  following  in  the  path 
made  by  the  man's  larger  figure,  and  he,  too,  was  suc- 
cessful in  making  no  sound.  But  he  could  hear  the 
stamp  of  horses'  feet  clearly  now,  and  both  to  left  and 
right  he  caught  glimpses  of  them  tethered  in  the  thickets. 
His  comrade  stopped  at  last.  They  were  not  more  than 
a  hundred  yards  from  the  fire  now,  and  the  space  in 
front  of  them  was  mostly  open.  The  Panther,  crouching 
among  the  bushes,  raised  his  finger  slowly  and  pointed 
toward  the  fire. 

Ned,  who  had  moved  to  one  side,  followed  the  point- 
ing finger  and  saw  Urrea.  He  was  the  dominant  figure 
in  a  group  of  six  or  seven  gathered  about  the  flames. 
He  was  no  longer  in  any  disguise,  but  wore  an  officer's 
gorgeous  uniform  of  white  and  silver.  A  splendid  cocked 
hat  was  on  his  head,  and  a  small  gold  hiked  rapier 
swung  by  his  side. 

It  may  have  been  partly  the  effect  of  the  night  and  the 
red  flame,  but  the  face  of  Urrea  had  upon  Ned  an  effect 
much  like  that  of  Santa  Anna.  It  was  dark  and  hand- 
some, but  full  of  evil.  And  evil  Ned  knew  Urrea  to  be. 
No  man  with  righteous  blood  in  his  veins  would  play  the 
spy  and  traitor  as  he  had  done. 

"I  could  shoot  him  from  here,"  whispered  the  Panther, 
who  evidently  was  influenced  in  a  similar  way,  "then 
reach  our  horses  an'  get  away.  It  might  be  a  good  deed, 
an'  it  might  save  our  lives,  Ned,  but  I'm  not  able  to  force 
myself  to  do  it." 

"Nor  I,"  said  Ned.  "I  can't  shoot  an  enemy  from 
ambush." 

Urrea  and  the  other  men  at  the  fire,  all  of  whom  were 
in  the  dress  of  officers,  were  in  a  deep  talk.  Ned  in- 
ferred that  the  subject  must  be  of  much  importance,  since 


IN   THE   STORM  19 

they  sat  awake,  discussing  it  between  midnight  and 
morning. 

"Look  beyond  the  fire  at  the  figures  leanin'  against  the 
trees,"  whispered  the  Panther. 

Ned  looked  and  hot  anger  rose  in  his  veins. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  CAPTIVES 

NED  had  not  noticed  at  first,  but,  since  his  eyes 
were  growing  used  to  the  dim  light,  and  since 
the  Panther  had  pointed  the  way,  he  saw  a 
dozen  men,  arms  bound  tightly  behind  them,  leaning 
against  the  trees.  They  were  prisoners  and  he  knew 
instinctively  that  they  were  Texans.  His  blood,  hot  at 
first,  now  chilled  in  his  veins.  They  had  been  captured 
by  Urrea  in  a  raid,  and  as  Santa  Anna  had  decreed  that 
all  Texans  were  rebels  who  should  be  executed  when 
taken,  they  would  surely  die,  unless  rescue  came. 

"What  shall  we  do?"  he  whispered. 

"Nothing  now,"  replied  the  Panther,  in  the  same  soft 
tone,  "but  if  you  an'  Obed  are  with  me  we'll  follow  this 
crowd,  an'  maybe  we  can  get  the  Texans  away  from 
'em.  It's  likely  that  Urrea  will  cross  the  Rio  Grande  an' 
go  down  into  Mexico  to  meet  Cos  or  Santa  Anna.  Are 
you  game  enough  to  go,  Ned?  I'm  a  Ring  Tailed  Pan- 
ther an'  a  roarin'  grizzly  bear,  but  I  don't  like  to  follow 
all  by  myself." 

"I'm  with  you,"  said  Ned,  "if  I  have  to  go  all  the  way 
back  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  an'  I  know  that  I  can  speak 
for  Obed,  too." 

"I  jest  asked  as  a  matter  of  form,"  said  the  Panther. 
"I  knowed  before  askin'  that  you  an'  Obed  would  stick 
to  me." 

20 


THE   CAPTIVES  21 

There  was  a  sudden  gust  of  wind  at  that  moment  and 
the  light  of  the  fire  sprang  higher.  The  flames  threw  a 
glow  across  the  faces  of  the  prisoners.  Most  of  them 
were  asleep,  but  Ned  saw  them  very  distinctly  now. 
One  was  a  boy  but  little  older  than  himself,  his  face  pale 
and  worn.  Near  him  was  an  old  man,  with  a  face  very 
uncommon  on  the  border.  His  features  were  those  of  a 
scholar  and  ascetic.  His  cheeks  were  thin,  and  thick 
white  hair  crowned  a  broad  white  brow.  Ned  felt  in- 
stinctively that  he  was  a  man  of  importance. 

Both  the  boy  and  the  man  slept  the  sleep  of  utter  ex- 
haustion. 

Urrea  rose  presently  and  looked  at  his  prisoners.  The 
moonlight  was  shining  on  his  face,  and  it  seemed  to  Ned 
to  be  that  of  some  master  demon.  The  boy  was  far  from 
denying  many  good  qualities  to  the  Mexicans,  but  the 
countenance  of  Urrea  certainly  did  not  express  any  of 
them  that  night.  It  showed  only  savage  exultation  as  he 
looked  at  the  bound  men,  and  Ned  knew  that  this  was  a 
formidable  enemy  of  the  Texans,  one  who  would  bring 
infinite  resources  of  cunning  and  enterprise  to  crush 
them. 

Urrea  said  a  few  words  to  his  officers  and  then  with- 
drew into  a  small  tent  which  Ned  had  not  noticed 
hitherto.  The  officers  lay  down  in  their  blankets,  but  a 
dozen  sentinels  watched  about  the  open  space.  Ned  and 
the  Panther  crept  slowly  back  toward  the  plain. 

"What  is  our  best  plan,  Panther?"  whispered  the  boy. 

"We  can't  do  anything  yet  but  haul  off,  watch  an* 
then  follow.  The  chaparral  runs  along  for  a  mile  or  two 
an'  we  can  hide  in  the  north  end  of  it  until  they  march 
south  an'  are  out  of  sight.  Then  we'll  hang  on." 

They  found  Obed  standing  exactly  where  they  had 
left  him,  the  reins  of  the  three  horses  in  his  hands. 


22  THE  TEXAN    SCOUTS 

"Back  at  last,"  he  said.  "All  things  come  to  him  who 
waits  long  enough,  if  he  doesn't  die  first.  Did  you  see 
anything  besides  a  lot  of  Mexican  vaqueros,  fuddled  with 
liquor  and  sound  asleep?" 

"We  did  not  see  any  vaqueros,"  replied  the  Panther, 
"but  we  saw  Urrea  an'  his  band,  an'  they  had  among 
them  a  dozen  good  Texans  bound  fast,  men  who  will  be 
shot  if  we  three  don't  stand  in  the  way.  You  have  to 
follow  with  us,  Obed,  because  Ned  has  already  promised 
for  you." 

The  Maine  man  looked  at  them  and  smiled. 

"A  terribly  good  mind  reader,  that  boy,  Ned,"  he  said. 
"He  knew  exactly  what  I  wanted.  There's  a  lot  of 
things  in  the  world  that  I'd  like  to  do,  but  the  one  that 
I  want  to  do  most  just  now  is  to  follow  Urrea  and  that 
crowd  of  his  and  take  away  those  Texans.  You  two 
couldn't  keep  me  from  going." 

The  Panther  smiled  back. 

"You  are  shorely  the  right  stuff,  Obed  White,"  he 
said.  "We're  only  three  in  this  bunch,  but  two  of  'em 
besides  me  are  ring-tailed  panthers.  Now  we'll  just 
draw  off,  before  it's  day,  an'  hide  in  the  chaparral  up 
there." 

They  rode  a  mile  to  the  north  and  remained  among 
dense  bushes  until  daylight.  At  davrn  they  saw  a  col- 
umn of  smoke  rise  from  Urrea's  camp. 

"They  are  cookin'  breakfast  now,"  said  the  Panther. 
"It's  my  guess  that  in  an  hour  they'll  be  ridin'  south 
with  their  prisoners." 

The  column  of  smoke  sank  after  a  while,  and  a  couple 
of  hours  later  the  three  left  the  chaparral.  From  one  of 
the  summits  they  dimly  saw  a  mass  of  horsemen  riding 
toward  Mexico. 

"There's  our  men,"  said  the  Panther,  "an'  now  we'll 


THE   CAPTIVES  23 

follow  all  day  at  this  good,  safe  distance.  At  night  we 
can  draw  up  closer  if  we  want  to  do  it." 

The  Mexicans  maintained  a  steady  pace,  and  the 
three  pursuers  followed  at  a  distance  of  perhaps 
two  miles.  Now  and  then  the  swells  completely 
shut  Urrea's  band  from  sight,  but  Ned,  Obed  and  the 
Panther  followed  the  broad  trail  without  the  slightest 
difficulty. 

"They'll  reach  the  river  before  noon,"  said  the  Pan- 
ther. "There  ain't  any  doubt  now  that  they're  bound  for 
Mexico.  It's  jest  as  well  for  what  we  want  to  do,  'cause 
they're  likely  to  be  less  watchful  there  than  they  are  in 
Texas." 

The  band  of  Urrea,  as  nearly  as  they  could  judge,  num- 
bered about  fifty,  all  mounted  and  armed  well.  The 
Mexicans  were  fine  horsemen,  and  with  good  training 
and  leadership  they  were  dangerous  foes.  The  three 
knew  them  well,  and  they  kept  so  far  behind  that  they 
were  not  likely  to  be  observed. 

It  was  only  a  half  hour  past  noon  when  Urrea's  men 
reached  the  Rio  Grande,  and  without  stopping  made  the 
crossing.  They  avoided  the  quicksands  with  experi- 
enced eyes,  and  swam  their  horses  through  the  deep 
water,  the  prisoners  always  kept  in  the  center  of  the 
troop.  Ned,  Obed  and  the  Panther  watched  them  until 
they  passed  out  of  sight.  Then  they,  too,  rode  forward, 
although  slowly,  toward  the  stream. 

"We  can't  lose  'em,"  said  the  Panther,  "so  I  think 
we'd  better  stay  out  of  sight  now  that  they're  on  real 
Mexican  soil.  Maybe  our  chance  will  come  to-night,  an' 
ag'in  maybe  it  won't." 

"Patience  will  have  its  perfect  rescue,  if  we  only  do 
the  right  things,"  said  Obed. 

"An'  if  we  think  hard  enough  an'  long  enough  we're 


24  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

bound  to  do  'em,  or  I'm  a  Ring  Tailed  Panther  an'  a 
Cheerful  Talker  fur  nothin',"  said  the  Panther. 

Waiting  until  they  were  certain  that  the  Mexicans 
were  five  or  six  miles  ahead,  the  three  forded  the  Rio 
Grande,  and  stood  once  more  on  Mexican  soil.  It  gave 
Ned  a  curious  thrill.  He  had  passed  through  so  much  in 
Mexico  that  he  had  not  believed  he  would  ever  again 
enter  that  country.  The  land  on  the  Mexican  side  was 
about  the  same  as  that  on  the  Texan,  but  it  seemed  dif- 
ferent to  him.  He  beheld  again  that  aspect  of  infinite 
age,  of  the  long  weariness  of  time,  and  of  physical  decay. 

They  rode  more  briskly  through  the  afternoon  and  at 
darkness  saw  the  camp  fires  of  Urrea  glimmering  ahead 
of  them.  But  the  night  was  not  favorable  to  their  plans. 
The  sky  was  the  usual  cloudless  blue  of  the  Mexican 
plateau,  the  moon  was  at  the  full  and  all  the  stars  were 
out.  What  they  wanted  was  bad  weather,  hoping  mean- 
while the  execution  of  the  prisoners  would  not  be  begun 
until  the  Mexicans  reached  higher  authority  than  Urrea, 
perhaps  Santa  Anna  himself. 

They  made  their  own  camp  a  full  two  miles  from 
Urrea's,  and  Obed  and  the  Panther  divided  the  watch. 

Urrea  started  early  the  next  morning,  and  so  did  the 
pursuing  three.  The  dawn  was  gray,  and  the  breeze  was 
chill.  As  they  rode  on,  the  wind  rose  and  its  edge  became 
so  sharp  that  there  was  a  prospect  of  another  Norther. 
The  Panther  unrolled  from  his  pack  the  most  gorgeous 
serape  that  Ned  had  ever  seen.  It  was  of  the  finest  ma- 
terial, colored  a  deep  scarlet  and  it  had  a  gold  fringe. 

"Fine  feathers  are  seen  afar,"  said  Obed. 

"That's  so,"  said  the  Panther,  "but  we're  not  coming 
near  enough  to  the  Mexicans  for  them  to  catch  a  glimpse 
of  this,  an'  such  bein'  the  case  I'm  goin'  to  put  it  between 
me  an'  the  cold.  I'm  proud  of  it,  an'  when  I  wrap  it 


THE   CAPTIVES  25 

aroun'  me  I  feel  bigger  an'  stronger.  Its  red  color  helps 
me.  I  think  I  draw  strength  from  red,  just  as  I  do  from 
a  fine,  tender  buffalo  steak." 

He  spoke  with  much  earnestness,  and  the  other  two 
did  rot  contradict  him.  Meanwhile  he  gracefully  folded 
the  great  serape  about  his  shoulders,  letting  it  fall  to  the 
saddle.  No  Mexican  could  have  worn  it  more  rakishly. 

"That's  my  shield  and  protector,"  he  said.  "Now 
blow  wind,  blow  snow,  I'll  keep  warm." 

It  blew  wind,  but  it  did  not  blow  snow.  The  day  re- 
mained cold,  but  the  air  undoubtedly  had  a  touch  of 
damp. 

"It  may  rain,  and  I'm  sure  the  night  will  be  dark," 
said  Obed.  "We  may  have  our  chance.  Fortune  favors 
those  who  help  themselves." 

The  country  became  more  broken,  and  the  patches  of 
scrub  forest  increased  in  number.  Often  the  three  rode 
quite  near  to  Urrea's  men  and  observed  them  closely. 
The  Mexicans  were  moving  slowly,  and,  as  the  Ameri- 
cans had  foreseen,  discipline  was  relaxed  greatly. 

Near  night  drops  of  rain  began  to  fall  in  their  faces, 
and  the  sun  set  among  clouds.  The  three  rejoiced.  A 
night,  dark  and  wet,  had  come  sooner  than  they  had 
hoped.  Obed  and  Ned  also  took  out  scrapes,  and  wrapped 
them  around  their  shoulders.  They  served  now  not  only 
to  protect  their  bodies,  but  to  keep  their  firearms  dry 
as  well.  Then  they  tethered  their  horses  among  thorn 
bushes  about  a  mile  from  Urrea's  camp,  and  advanced 
on  foot. 

They  saw  the  camp  fire  glimmering  feebly  through 
the  night,  and  they  advanced  boldly.  It  was  so  dark 
now  that  a  human  figure  fifty  feet  away  blended  with 
the  dusk,  and  the  ground,  softened  by  the  rain,  gave 
back  no  sound  of  footsteps.  Nevertheless  they  saw  on 


26  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

their  right  a  field  which  showed  a  few  signs  of  cultiva- 
tion, and  they  surmised  that  Urrea  had  made  his  camp 
at  the  lone  hut  of  some  peon. 

They  reckoned  right.  They  came  to  clumps  of  trees, 
•and  in  an  opening  inclosed  by  them  was  a  low  adobe  hut, 
from  the  open  door  of  which  a  light  shone.  They  knew 
that  Urrea  and  his  officers  had  taken  refuge  there  from 
the  rain  and  cold  and,  under  the  boughs  of  the  trees  or 
beside  the  fire,  they  saw  the  rest  of  the  band  sheltering 
themselves  as  best  they  could.  The  prisoners,  their  hands 
bound,  were  in  a  group  in  the  open,  where  the  slow,  cold 
rain  fell  steadily  upon  them.  Ned's  heart  swelled  with 
rage  at  the  sight. 

Order  and  discipline  seemed  to  be  lacking.  Men  came 
and  went  as  they  pleased.  Fully  twenty  of  them  were 
making  a  shelter  of  canvas  and  thatch  beside  the  hut. 
Others  began  to  build  the  fire  higher  in  order  to  fend 
off  the  wet  and  cold.  Ned  did  not  see  that  the  chance  of 
a  rescue  was  improved,  but  the  Panther  felt  a  sudden 
glow  when  his  eyes  alighted  upon  something  dark  at  the 
edge  of  the  woods.  A  tiny  shed  stood  there  and  his 
keen  eyes  marked  what  was  beneath  it. 

"What  do  you  think  we'd  better  do,  Panther?"  asked 
Obed. 

"No  roarin'  jest  now.  We  mustn't  raise  our  voices 
above  whispers,  but  we'll  go  back  in  the  brush  and  wait. 
In  an  hour  or  two  all  these  Mexicans  will  be  asleep. 
Like  as  not  the  sentinels,  if  they  post  any,  will  be  asleep 
first." 

They  withdrew  deeper  into  the  thickets,  where  they 
remained  close  together.  They  saw  the  fire  die  in  the 
Mexican  camp.  After  a  while  all  sounds  there  ceased, 
and  again  they  crept  near.  The  Panther  was  a  genuine 
prophet,  known  and  recognized  by  his  comrades.  Urrea's 


THE   CAPTIVES  27 

men,  having  finished  their  shelters,  were  now  asleep,  in- 
cluding all  the  sentinels  except  two.  There  was  some 
excuse  for  them.  They  were  in  their  own  country,  far 
from  any  Texan  force  of  importance,  and  the  night 
could  scarcely  have  been  worse.  It  was  very  dark,  and 
the  cold  rain  fell  with  a  steadiness  and  insistence  that 
sought  and  finally  found  every  opening  in  one's  clothing. 
Even  the  stalking  three  drew  their  scrapes  closer,  and 
shivered  a  little. 

The  two  sentinels  who  did  not  sleep  were  together  on 
the  south  side  of  the  glade.  Evidently  they  wished  the 
company  of  each  other.  They  were  now  some  distance 
from  the  dark  little  shed  toward  which  the  Panther  was 
leading  his  comrades,  and  their  whole  energies  were  ab- 
sorbed in  an  attempt  to  light  two  cigarritos,  which  would 
soothe  and  strengthen  them  as  they  kept  their  rainy  and 
useless  watch. 

The  three  completed  the  segment  of  the  circle  and 
reached  the  little  shed  which  had  become  such  an  object 
of  importance  to  the  Panther. 

"Don't  you  see?"  said  the  Panther,  his  grim  joy  show- 
ing in  his  tone. 

They  saw,  and  they  shared  his  satisfaction.  The  Mexi- 
cans had  stacked  their  rifles  and  muskets  under  the  shed, 
where  they  would  be  protected  from  the  rain. 

"It's  queer  what  foolish  things  men  do  in  war," 
said  Obed.  "Whom  the  gods  would  destroy  they 
first  deprive  of  the  sense  of  danger.  They  do  not 
dream  that  Richard,  meaning  the  Panther,  is  in  the 
chaparral." 

"If  we  approach  this  shed  from  the  rear  the  sentinels, 
even  if  they  look,  will  not  be  able  to  see  us,"  said  the 
Panther.  "By  the  great  horn  spoon,  what  an  oppor- 
tunity! I  can  hardly  keep  from  roarin'  an'  ravin*  about 


28  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

it.  Now,  boys,  we'll  take  away  their  guns,  swift  an' 
quiet." 

A  few  trips  apiece  and  all  the  rifles  and  muskets  with 
their  ammunition  were  carried  deep  into  the  chaparral, 
where  Obed,  gladly  sacrificing  his  own  comfort,  covered 
them  against  the  rain  with  his  scrape.  Not  a  sign  had 
come  meanwhile  from  the  two  sentinels  on  the  far  side 
of  the  camp.  Ned  once  or  twice  saw  the  lighted  ends  of 
their  cigarritos  glowing  like  sparks  in  the  darkness,  but 
the  outlines  of  the  men's  figures  were  very  dusky. 

"An'  now  for  the  riskiest  part  of  our  job,  the  one  that 
counts  the  most,"  said  the  Panther,  "the  one  that  will 
make  everything  else  a  failure  if  it  falls  through.  We've 
got  to  secure  the  prisoners." 

The  captives  were  lying  under  the  boughs  of  some 
trees  about  twenty  yards  from  the  spot  where  the  fire 
had  been  built.  The  pitiless  rain  had  beaten  upon  them, 
but  as  far  as  Ned  could  judge  they  had  gone  to  sleep, 
doubtless  through  sheer  exhaustion.  The  Panther's  plan 
of  action  was  swift  and  comprehensive. 

"Boys,"  he  said,  "I'm  the  best  shot  of  us  three.  I 
don't  say  it  in  any  spirit  of  boastin',  'cause  I've  pulled 
trigger  about  every  day  for  thirty  years,  an'  more'n  once 
a  hundred  times  in  one  day.  Now  you  two  give  me  your 
rifles  and  I'll  set  here  in  the  edge  of  the  bushes,  then  you 
go  ahead  as  silent  as  you  can  an'  cut  the  prisoners  loose. 
If  there's  an  alarm  I'll  open  fire  with  the  three  rifles  and 
cover  the  escape." 

Handing  the  rifles  to  the  Panther,  the  two  slipped  for- 
ward. It  was  a  grateful  task  to  Ned.  Again  his  heart 
swelled  with  wrath  as  he  saw  the  dark  figures  of  the 
bound  men  lying  on  the  ground  in  the  rain.  He  remem- 
bered the  one  who  was  youthful  of  face  like  himself  and 
he  sought  him.  As  he  approached  he  made  out  a  figure 


THE   CAPTIVES  29 

lying  in  a  strained  position,  and  he  was  sure  that  it  was 
the  captive  lad.  A  yard  or  two  more  and  he  knew  abso- 
lutely. He  touched  the  boy  on  the  shoulder,  whispered 
in  his  ear  that  it  was  a  friend,  and,  with  one  sweep  of  his 
knife,  released  his  arms. 

"Crawl  to  the  chaparral  there,"  said  Ned,  in  swift 
sharp  tones,  pointing  the  way.  "Another  friend  is  wait- 
ing at  that  point." 

The  boy,  without  a  word,  began  to  creep  forward  in  a 
stiff  and  awkward  fashion.  Ned  turned  to  the  next 
prisoner.  It  was  the  elderly  man  whom  he  had  seen 
from  the  chaparral,  and  he  was  wide  awake,  staring  in- 
tently at  Ned. 

"Is  it  rescue?"  he  whispered.    "Is  it  possible?" 

"It  is  rescue.  It  is  possible,"  replied  Ned,  in  a  similar 
whisper.  "Turn  a  little  to  one  side  and  I  will  cut  the 
cords  that  bind  you." 

The  man  turned,  but  when  Ned  freed  him  he  whis- 
pered: 

"You  will  have  to  help  me.  I  cannot  yet  walk  alone. 
Urrea  has  already  given  me  a  taste  of  what  I  was  to 
expect." 

Ned  shuddered.  There  was  a  terrible  significance  in 
the  prisoner's  tone.  He  assisted  him  to  rise  partly,  but 
the  man  staggered.  It  was  evident  that  he  could  not 
walk.  He  must  help  this  man,  but  the  others  were  wait- 
ing to  be  released  also.  Then  the  good  thought  came. 

"Wait  a  moment,"  he  said,  and  he  cut  the  bonds  of 
another  man. 

"Now  you  help  your  friend  there,"  he  said. 

He  saw  the  two  going  away  together,  and  he  turned 
to  the  others.  He  and  Obed  worked  fast,  and  within 
five  minutes  the  last  man  was  released.  But  as  they 
crept  back  toward  the  chaparral  the  slack  sentinels  caught 


30  THE  TEXAN    SCOUTS 

sight  of  the  dusky  figures  retreating.  Two  musket  shots 
were  fired  and  there  were  rapid  shouts  in  Mexican  jar- 
gon. Ned  and  Obed  rose  to  their  feet  and,  keeping  the 
escaped  prisoners  before  them,  ran  for  the  thickets. 

A  terrific  reply  to  the  Mexican  alarm  came  from  the 
forest.  A  volley  of  rifle  and  pistol  shots  was  fired 
among  the  soldiers  as  they  sprang  to  their  feet  and  a 
tremendous  voice  roared: 

"At  'em,  boys !  At  'em !  Charge  'em !  Now  is  your 
time !  Rip  an'  far  an'  roar  an'  chaw !  Don't  let  a  single 
one  escape !  Sweep  the  scum  off  the  face  of  the  earth !" 

The  Ring  Tailed  Panther  had  a  mighty  voice,  issuing 
from  a  mighty  throat.  Never  had  he  used  it  in  greater 
volume  or  to  better  purpose  than  on  that  night.  The 
forest  fairly  thundered  with  the  echoes  of  the  battle  cry, 
and  as  the  dazed  Mexicans  rushed  for  their  guns  only 
to  find  them  gone,  they  thought  that  the  whole  Texan 
army  was  upon  them.  In  another  instant  a  new  terror 
struck  at  their  hearts.  Their  horses  and  mules,  driven 
in  a  frightful  stampede,  suddenly  rushed  into  the  glade 
and  they  were  now  busy  keeping  themselves  from  being 
trampled  to  death. 

Truly  the  Panther  had  spent  well  the  few  minutes 
allotted  to  him.  He  fired  new  shots,  some  into  the 
frightened  herd.  His  tremendous  voice  never  ceased  for 
an  instant  to  encourage  his  charging  troops,  and  to  roar 
out  threats  against  the  enemy.  Urrea,  to  his  credit, 
made  an  attempt  to  organize  his  men,  to  stop  the  panic, 
and  to  see  the  nature  of  the  enemy,  but  he  was  borne 
away  in  the  frantic  mob  of  men  and  horses  which  was 
now  rushing  for  the  open  plain. 

Ned  and  Obed  led  the  fugitives  to  the  place  where 
the  rifles  and  muskets  were  stacked.  Here  they  rapidly 
distributed  the  weapons  and  then  broke  across  the  tree 


THE   CAPTIVES  31 

trunks  all  they  could  not  use  or  carry.  Another  min- 
ute and  they  reached  their  horses,  where  the  Panther, 
panting  from  his  huge  exertions,  joined  them.  Ned 
helped  the  lame  man  upon  one  of  the  horses,  the  weakest 
two  who  remained,  including  the  boy,  were  put  upon  the 
others,  and  led  by  the  Panther  they  started  northward, 
leaving  the  chaparral. 

It  was  a  singular  march,  but  for  a  long  time  nothing 
was  said.  The  sound  of  the  Mexican  stampede  could  yet 
be  heard,  moving  to  the  south,  but  they,  rescuers  and 
rescued,  walked  in  silence  save  for  the  sound  of  their 
feet  in  the  mud  of  the  wind-swept  plain.  Ned  looked 
curiously  at  the  faces  of  those  whom  they  had  saved, 
but  the  night  had  not  lightened,  and  he  could  discern 
nothing.  They  went  thus  a  full  quarter  of  an  hour.  The 
noise  of  the  stampede  sank  away  in  the  south,  and  then 
the  Panther  laughed. 

It  was  a  deep,  hearty,  unctuous  laugh  that  came  from 
the  very  depths  of  the  man's  chest.  It  was  a  laugh  with 
no  trace  of  merely  superficial  joy.  He  who  uttered  it 
laughed  because  his  heart  and  soul  were  in  it.  It  was  a 
laugh  of  mirth,  relief  and  triumph,  all  carried  to  the 
highest  degree.  It  was  a  long  laugh,  rising  and  falling, 
but  when  it  ceased  and  the  Panther  had  drawn  a  deep 
breath  he  opened  his  mouth  again  and  spoke  the  words 
that  were  in  his  mind. 

"I  shorely  did  some  rippin'  an'  roarin'  then,"  he  said. 
"It  was  the  best  chance  I  ever  had,  an'  I  guess  I  used  it. 
How  things  did  work  for  us !  Them  sleepy  sentinels,  an* 
then  the  stampede  of  the  animals,  carryin'  Urrea  an'  the 
rest  right  away  with  it." 

"Fortune  certainly  worked  for  us,"  said  Ned. 

"And  we  can  find  no  words  in  which  to  describe  to 
you  our  gratitude,"  said  the  crippled  man  on  the  horse. 


32  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"We  were  informed  very  clearly  by  Urrea  that  we  were 
rebels  and,  under  the  decree  of  Santa  Anna,  would  be 
executed.  Even  our  young  friend  here,  this  boy,  William 
Allen,  would  not  have  been  spared." 

"We  ain't  all  the  way  out  of  the  woods  yet,"  said  the 
Panther,  not  wishing  to  have  their  hopes  rise  too  high 
and  then  fall.  "Of  course  Urrea  an'  his  men  have  some 
arms  left.  They  wouldn't  stack  'em  all  under  the  shed, 
an'  they  can  get  more  from  other  Mexicans  in  these 
parts.  When  they  learn  from  their  trailers  how  few  we 
are  they'll  follow." 

The  rescued  were  silent,  save  one,  evidently  a  veteran 
frontiersman,  who  said: 

"Let  'em  come.  I  was  took  by  surprise,  not  thinkin' 
any  Mexicans  was  north  of  the  Rio  Grande.  But  now 
that  I've  got  a  rifle  on  one  shoulder  an'  a  musket  on  the 
other  I  think  I  could  thrash  an  acre-lot  full  of  'em." 

"That's  the  talk,"  said  Obed  White.  "We'll  say  to 
'em:  'Come  one,  come  all,  this  rock  from  its  firm  base 
may  fly,  but  we're  the  boys  who'll  never  say  die.'  " 

They  relapsed  once  more  into  silence.  The  rain  had 
lightened  a  little,  but  the  night  was  as  dark  as  ever.  The 
boy  whom  the  man  had  called  William  Allen  drew  up  by 
the  side  of  Ned.  They  were  of  about  the  same  height, 
and  each  was  as  tall  and  strong  as  a  man. 

"Have  you  any  friends  here  with  you  ?"  asked  Ned. 

"All  of  them  are  my  friends,  but  I  made  them  in  cap- 
tivity. I  came  to  Texas  to  find  my  fortune,  and  I  found 
this." 

The  boy  laughed,  half  in  pity  of  himself,  and  half 
with  genuine  humor. 

"But  I  ought  not  to  complain,"  he  added,  "when  we've 
been  saved  in  the  most  wonderful  way.  How  did  you 
ever  happen  to  doit?" 


THE   CAPTIVES  33 

"We've  been  following  you  all  the  way  from  the  other 
side  of  the  Rio  Grande,  waiting  a  good  chance.  It  came 
to-night  with  the  darkness,  the  rain,  and  the  carelessness 
of  the  Mexicans.  I  heard  the  man  call  you  William 
Allen.  My  name  is  Fulton,  Edward  Fulton,  Ned  to  my 
friends/' 

"And  mine's  Will  to  my  friends." 

"And  you  and  I  are  going  to  be  friends,  that's  sure." 

"Nothing  can  be  surer." 

The  hands  of  the  two  boys  met  in  a  strong  grasp,  sig- 
nifying a  friendship  that  was  destined  to  endure. 

The  Panther  and  Obed  now  began  to  seek  a  place  for 
a  camp.  They  knew  that  too  much  haste  would  mean  a 
breakdown,  and  they  meant  that  the  people  whom  they 
had  rescued  should  have  a  rest.  But  it  took  a  long  time 
to  find  the  trees  which  would  furnish  wood  and  partial 
shelter.  It  was  Obed  who  made  the  happy  discovery 
some  time  after  midnight.  Turning  to  their  left,  they 
entered  a  grove  of  dwarf  oaks,  covering  a  half  acre  or 
so,  and  with  much  labor  and  striving  built  a  fire.  They 
made  it  a  big  fire,  too,  and  fed  it  until  the  flames  roared 
and  danced.  Ned  noticed  that  all  the  rescued  prisoners 
crouched  close  to  it,  as  if  it  were  a  giver  of  strength 
and  courage  as  well  as  warmth,  and  now  the  light  re- 
vealed their  faces.  He  looked  first  at  the  crippled  man, 
and  the  surprise  that  he  had  felt  at  his  first  glimpse  of 
him  increased. 

The  stranger  was  of  a  type  uncommon  on  the  border. 
His  large  features  showed  cultivation  and  the  signs  of 
habitual  and  deep  thought.  His  thick  white  hair  sur- 
mounted a  broad  brow.  His  clothing,  although  torn  by 
thorns  and  briars,  was  of  fine  quality.  Ned  knew  in- 
stinctively that  it  was  a  powerful  face,  one  that  seldom 
showed  the  emotions  behind  it.  The  rest,  except  the 


34  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

boy,  were  of  the  border,  lean,  sun-browned  men,  dressed 
in  tanned  deerskin. 

The  Panther  and  Obed  also  gazed  at  the  crippled  man 
with  great  curiosity.  They  knew  the  difference,  and 
they  were  surprised  to  find  such  a  man  in  such  a  situa- 
tion. He  did  not  seem  to  notice  them  at  first,  but  from 
his  seat  on  a  log  leaned  over  the  fire  warming  his  hands, 
which  Ned  saw  were  large,  white  and  smooth.  His  legs 
lay  loosely  against  the  log,  as  if  he  were  suffering  from 
a  species  of  paralysis.  The  others,  soaked  by  the  rain, 
which,  however,  now  ceased,  were  also  hovering  over  the 
fire  which  was  giving  new  life  to  the  blood  in  their  veins. 
The  man  with  the  white  hands  turned  presently  and, 
speaking  to  Ned,  Obed  and  the  Panther,  said : 

"My  name  is  Roylston,  John  Roylston." 

Ned  started. 

"I  see  that  you  have  heard  of  it,"  continued  the 
stranger,  but  without  vanity.  "Yes,  I  am  the  merchant 
of  New  Orleans.  I  have  lands  and  other  property  in 
this  region  for  which  I  have  paid  fairly.  I  hold  the 
deeds  and  they  are  also  guaranteed  to  me  by  Santa  Anna 
and  the  Mexican  Congress.  I  was  seized  by  this  guerilla 
leader,  Urrea.  He  knew  who  I  was,  and  he  sought  to 
extract  from  me  an  order  for  a  large  sum  of  money  lying 
in  a  European  bank  in  the  City  of  Mexico.  There  are 
various  ways  of  procuring  such  orders,  and  he  tried  one 
of  the  most  primitive  methods.  That  is  why  I  cannot 
walk  without  help.  No,  I  will  not  tell  what  was  done. 
It  is  not  pleasant  to  hear.  Let  it  pass.  I  shall  walk 
again  as  well  as  ever  in  a  month." 

"Did  he  get  the  order?"  asked  Obed  curiously. 

Roylston  laughed  deep  in  his  throat. 
^  "He  did  not,"  he  said.    "It  was  not  because  I  valued 
it  so  much,  but  my  pride  would  not  permit  me  to  give 


THE   CAPTIVES  35 

way  to  such  crude  methods.  I  must  say,  however,  that 
you  three  came  just  in  time,  and  you  have  done  a  most 
marvelous  piece  of  work." 

Ned  shuddered  and  walked  a  little  space  out  on  the 
plain  to  steady  his  nerves.  He  had  never  deceived  him- 
self about  the  dangers  that  the  Texans  were  facing,  but 
it  seemed  that  they  would  have  to  fight  every  kind  of 
ferocity.  When  he  returned,  Obed  and  the  Panther 
were  building  the  fire  higher. 

"We  must  get  everybody  good  and  dry,"  said  the 
Panther.  "Pursuit  will  come,  but  not  to-night,  an'  we 
needn't  worry  about  the  blaze.  We've  food  enough  for 
all  of  you  for  a  day,  but  we  haven't  the  horses,  an'  for 
that  I'm  sorry.  If  we  had  them  we  could  git  away  with- 
out a  doubt  to  the  Texan  army." 

"But  not  having  them,"  said  Obed,  "we'll  even  do  the 
best  we  can,  if  the  Mexicans,  having  run  away,  come 
back  to  fight  another  day." 

"So  we  will/'  said  a  stalwart  Texan  named  Fields. 
"That  Urrea  don't  get  me  again,  and  if  I  ain't  mistook 
your  friend  here  is  Mr.  Palmer,  better  known  in  our 
parts  as  the  Ring  Tailed  Panther,  ain't  he?" 

Ned  saw  the  Panther's  huge  form  swell.  He  still 
wore  the  great  scrape,  which  shone  in  the  firelight  with 
a  deep  blood-red  tinge. 

"I  am  the  Ring  Tailed  Panther,"  he  said  proudly. 

"Then  lemme  shake  your  hand.  You  an'  your  pards 
have  done  a  job  to-night  that  ain't  had  its  like  often,  and 
me  bein'  one  of  them  that's  profited  by  it  makes  it  look 
all  the  bigger  to  me." 

The  Panther  graciously  extended  an  enormous  palm, 
and  the  great  palm  of  Fields  met  it  in  a  giant  clasp.  A 
smile  lighted  up  the  somber  face  of  Mr.  Roylston  as  he 
looked  at  them. 


36  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"Often  we  find  powerful  friends  when  we  least  expect 
them,"  he  said. 

"As  you  are  the  worst  hurt  of  the  lot,"  said  the  Pan- 
ther, "we're  going  to  make  you  a  bed  right  here  by  the 
fire.  No,  it  ain't  any  use  sayin'  you  won't  lay  down  on 
it.  If  you  won't  we'll  jest  have  to  put  you  down." 

They  spread  a  blanket,  upon  which  the  exhausted 
merchant  lay,  and  they  covered  him  with  a  scrape.  Soon 
he  fell  asleep,  and  then  Fields  said  to  Ned  and  his  com- 
rades : 

"You  fellows  have  done  all  the  work,  an'  you've  piled 
up  such  a  mountain  of  debt  against  us  that  we  can  never 
wipe  it  out.  Now  you  go  to  sleep  and  four  of  us  will 
watch.  And,  knowin'  what  would  happen  to  us  if  we 
were  caught,  we'll  watch  well.  But  nothing  is  to  be 
expected  to-night." 

"Suits  us,"  said  Obed.  "Some  must  watch  while  oth- 
ers sleep,  so  runs  the  world  away.  Bet  you  a  dollar,  Ned, 
that  I'm  off  to  Slumberland  before  you  are." 

"I  don't  take  the  bet,"  said  Ned,  "but  I'll  run  you  an 
even  race." 

In  exactly  five  minutes  the  two,  rolled  in  their  own 
blankets,  slept  soundly.  All  the  others  soon  followed; 
except  four,  who,  unlike  the  Mexicans,  kept  a  watch 
that  missed  nothing. 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  FIGHT  WITH  URREA 

MORNING  came.  Up  rose  the  sun,  pouring  a 
brilliant  light  over  the  desolate  plains.  Beads 
of  water  from  the  rain  the  night  before 
sparkled  a  little  while  and  then  dried  up.  But  the  day  was 
cold,  nevertheless,  and  a  sharp  wind  now  began  to  search 
for  the  weakest  point  of  every  one.  Ned,  Obed  and  the 
Panther  were  up  betimes,  but  some  of  the  rescued  still 
slept. 

Ned,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Panther,  mounted  one  of 
the  horses  and  rode  out  on  the  plain  a  half  mile  to  the 
south.  Those  keen  eyes  of  his  were  becoming  all  the 
keener  from  life  upon  the  vast  rolling  plains.  But  no 
matter  how  he  searched  the  horizon  he  saw  only  a  lone- 
some cactus  or  two  shivering  in  the  wind.  When  he  re- 
turned with  his  report  the  redoubtable  Panther  said: 

"Then  we'll  just  take  our  time.  The  pursuit's  goin'  to 
come,  but  since  it  ain't  in  sight  we'll  brace  up  these  new 
friends  of  ours  with  hot  coffee  an'  vittles.  I  guess  we've 
got  coffee  enough  left  for  all." 

They  lighted  the  fire  anew  and  soon  pleasant  odors 
arose.  The  rescued  prisoners  ate  and  drank  hungrily, 
and  Mr.  Roylston  was  able  to  limp  a  little.  Now  that 
Ned  saw  him  in  the  full  daylight  he  understood  more 
clearly  than  ever  that  this  was  indeed  a  most  uncommon 
man.  The  brow  and  eyes  belonged  to  one  who  thought, 
planned  and  organized.  He  spoke  little  and  made  no 
complaint,  but  when  he  looked  at  Ned  he  said : 

"You  are  young,  my  boy,  to  live  among  such  dangers. 

37 


38  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

Why  do  you  not  go  north  into  the  states  where  life  is 
safe?" 

"There  are  others  as  young  as  I,  or  younger,  who  have 
fought  or  will  fight  for  Texas,"  said  Ned.  "I  belong 
here  and  I've  got  powerful  friends.  Two  of  them  have 
saved  my  life  more  than  once  and  are  likely  to  do  so 
again." 

He  nodded  toward  Obed  and  the  Panther,  who  were 
too  far  away  to  hear.  Roylston  smiled.  The  two  men 
were  in  singular  contrast,  but  each  was  striking  in  his 
way.  Obed,  of  great  height  and  very  thin,  but  exceed- 
ingly strong,  was  like  a  steel  lath.  The  Panther,  huge  in 
every  aspect,  reminded  one,  in  his  size  and  strength,  of 
a  buffalo  bull. 

"They  are  uncommon  men,  no  doubt,"  said  Roylston. 
"And  you  expect  to  remain  with  them?" 

"I'd  never  leave  them  while  this  war  lasts !  Not  under 
any  circumstances!" 

Ned  spoke  with  great  energy,  and  again  Roylston 
smiled,  but  he  said  no  more. 

"It's  time  to  start,"  said  the  Panther. 

Roylston  again  mounted  one  of  the  horses.  Ned  saw 
that  it  hurt  his  pride  to  have  to  ride,  but  he  saw  also 
that  he  would  not  complain  when  complaints  availed 
nothing.  He  felt  an  increasing  interest  in  a  man  who 
seemed  to  have  perfect  command  over  himself. 

The  boy,  Will  Allen,  was  fresh  and  strong  again.  His 
youthful  frame  had  recovered  completely  from  all  hard- 
ships, and  now  that  he  was  free,  armed,  and  in  the  com- 
pany of  true  friends  his  face  glowed  with  pleasure  and 
enthusiasm.  He  was  tall  and  strong,  and  now  he  carried 
a  good  rifle  with  a  pistol  also  in  his  belt.  He  and  Ned 
walked  side  by  side,  and  each  rejoiced  in  the  companion- 
ship of  one  of  his  own  age. 


THE   FIGHT   WITH   URREA  39 

"How  long  have  you  been  with  them?"  asked  Will, 
looking  at  Obed  and  the  Panther. 

"I  was  first  with  Obed  away  down  in  Mexico.  We 
were  prisoners  together  in  the  submarine  dungeon  of 
San  Juan  de  Ulua.  I'd  never  have  escaped  without  him. 
And  I'd  never  have  escaped  a  lot  more  things  without 
him,  either.  Then  we  met  the  Panther.  He's  the  great- 
est frontiersman  in  all  the  southwest,  and  we  three  some- 
how have  become  hooked  together." 

Will  looked  at  Ned  a  little  enviously. 

"What  comrades  you  three  must  be !"  he  said.  "I  have 
nobody." 

"Are  you  going  to  fight  for  Texas?" 

"I  count  on  doing  so." 

"Then  why  don't  you  join  us,  and  we  three  will  turn 
into  four?" 

Will  looked  at  Ned,  and  his  eyes  glistened 

"Do  you  mean  that?"  he  asked. 

"Do  I  mean  it?  I  think  I  do.  Ho,  there,  Panther! 
You  and  Obed,  just  a  minute  or  two!" 

The  two  turned  back.  Ned  and  Will  were  walking 
at  the  rear  of  the  little  company. 

"I've  asked  Will  to  be  one  of  us,"  said  Ned,  "to  join 
our  band  and  to  share  our  fortunes,  good  or  bad." 

"Can  he  make  all  the  signs,  an'  has  he  rid  the  goat?" 
asked  the  Panther  solemnly. 

"Does  he  hereby  swear  never  to  tell  any  secret  of  ours 
to  Mexican  or  Indian  ?"  asked  Obed.  "Does  he  swear  to 
obey  all  our  laws  and  by-laws  wherever  he  may  be,  and 
whenever  he  is  put  to  the  test  ?" 

"He  swears  to  everything,"  replied  Ned,  "and  I  know 
that  he  is  the  kind  to  make  a  trusty  comrade  to  the 
death." 

"Then  you  are  declared  this  minute  a  member  of  our 


40  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

company  in  good  standin',"  said  the  Panther  to  Will, 
"an'  with  this  grip  I  give  you  welcome." 

He  crushed  the  boy's  hand  in  a  mighty  grasp  that 
made  him  wince,  and  Obed  followed  with  one  that  was 
almost  equally  severe.  But  the  boy  did  not  mind  the 
physical  pain.  Instead,  his  soul  was  uplifted.  He  was 
now  the  chosen  comrade  of  these  three  paladins,  and  he 
was  no  longer  alone  in  the  world.  But  he  merely  said : 

"I'll  try  to  show  myself  worthy." 

They  were  compelled  to  stop  at  noon  for  rather  a  long 
rest,  as  walking  was  tiresome.  Fields,  who  was  a  good 
scout,  went  back  and  looked  for  pursuers,  but  announced 
that  he  saw  none,  and,  after  an  hour,  they  started  again. 

"I'm  thinkin',"  said  the  Panther,  "that  Urrea  has  al- 
ready organized  the  pursuit.  Mebbe  he  has  pow'ful 
glasses  an'  kin  see  us  when  we  can't  see  him.  He  may 
mean  to  attack  to-night.  It's  a  lucky  thing  for  us  that 
we  can  find  timber  now  an'  then." 

"It's  likely  that  you're  right  about  to-night,"  said 
Obed,  "but  there's  no  night  so  dark  that  it  doesn't  have 
its  silver  lining.  I  guess  everybody  in  this  little  crowd 
is  a  good  shot,  unless  maybe  it's  Mr.  Roylston,  and  as  we 
have  about  three  guns  apiece  we  can  make  it  mighty  hot 
for  any  force  that  Urrea  may  bring  against  us." 

They  began  now  to  search  for  timber,  looking  espe- 
cially for  some  clump  of  trees  that  also  inclosed  water. 
They  did  not  anticipate  any  great  difficulty  in  regard  to 
the  water,  as  the  winter  season  and  the  heavy  rains  had 
filled  the  dry  creek  beds,  and  had  sent  torrents  down  the 
arroyos.  Before  dark  they  found  a  stream  about  a  foot 
deep  running  over  sand  between  banks  seven  or  eight 
feet  high  toward  the  Rio  Grande.  A  mile  further  on  a 
small  grove  of  myrtle  oaks  and  pecans  grew  on  its  left 
bank,  and  there  they  made  their  camp. 


THE   FIGHT   WITH   URREA  41 

Feeling  that  they  must  rely  upon  their  valor  and 
watchfulness,  and  not  upon  secrecy,  they  built  a  fire,  and 
ate  a  good  supper.  Then  they  put  out  the  fire  and  half 
of  them  remained  on  guard,  the  other  half  going  to 
sleep,  except  Roylston,  who  sat  with  his  back  to  a  tree,  his 
injured  legs  resting  upon  a  bed  of  leaves  which  the  boys 
had  raked  up  for  him.  He  had  been  riding  Old  Jack 
and  the  horse  had  seemed  to  take  to  him,  but  after  the 
stop  Ned  himself  had  looked  after  his  mount. 

The  boy  allowed  Old  Jack  to  graze  a  while,  and  then 
he  tethered  him  in  the  thickest  of  the  woods  just  behind 
the  sleeping  man.  He  wished  the  horse  to  be  as  safe  as 
possible  in  case  bullets  should  be  flying,  and  he  could 
find  no  better  place  for  him.  But  before  going  he  stroked 
his  nose  and  whispered  in  his  ear. 

"Good  Old  Jack !  Brave  fellow!"  he  said.  "We  are 
going  to  have  troublous  times,  you  and  I,  along  with  the 
others,  but  I  think  we  are  going  to  ride  through  them 
safely." 

The  horse  whinnied  ever  so  softly,  and  nuzzled  Ned's 
arm.  The  understanding  between  them  was  complete. 
Then  Ned  left  him,  intending  to  take  a  position  by  the 
bank  of  the  creek  as  he  was  on  the  early  watch.  On  the 
way  he  passed  Roylston,  who  regarded  him  attentively. 

"I  judge  that  your  leader,  Mr.  Palmer,  whom  you 
generally  call  the  Panther,  is  expecting  an  attack,"  said 
the  merchant. 

"He's  the  kind  of  man  who  tries  to  provide  for  every- 
thing," replied  Ned. 

"Of  course,  then,"  said  Roylston,  "he  provides  for  the 
creek  bed.  The  Mexican  skirmishers  can  come  up  it 
and  yet  be  protected  by  its  banks." 

"That  is  so,"  said  the  Panther,  who  had  approached 
as  he  was  speaking.  "It's  the  one  place  that  we've  got 


42  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

to  watch  most,  an'  Ned  an'  me  are  goin'  to  sit  there  on 
the  banks,  always  lookin'.  I  see  that  you've  got  the  eye 
of  a  general,  Mr.  Roylston." 

The  merchant  smiled. 

"I'm  afraid  I  don't  count  for  much  in  battle,"  he  said, 
"and  least  of  all  hampered  as  I  am  now.  But  if  the 
worst  comes  to  the  worst  I  can  sit  here  with  my  back  to 
this  tree  and  shoot.  If  you  will  kindly  give  me  a  rifle 
and  ammunition  I  shall  be  ready  for  the  emergency." 

"But  it  is  your  time  to  sleep,  Mr.  Roylston,"  said  the 
Panther. 

"I  don't  think  I  can  sleep,  and  as  I  cannot  I  might  as 
well  be  of  use." 

The  Panther  brought  him  the  rifle,  powder  and  bullets, 
and  Roylston,  leaning  against  the  tree,  rifle  across  his 
knees,  watched  with  bright  eyes.  Sentinels  were  placed 
at  the  edge  of  the  grove,  but  the  Panther  and  Ned,  as  ar- 
ranged, were  on  the  high  bank  overlooking  the  bed  of  the 
creek.  Now  and  then  they  walked  back  and  forth,  meet- 
ing at  intervals,  but  most  of  the  time  each  kept  to  his 
own  particular  part  of  the  ground. 

Ned  found  an  oak,  blown  down  on  the  bank  by  some 
hurricane,  and  as  there  was  a  comfortable  seat  on  a 
bough  with  the  trunk  as  a  rest  for  his  back  he  remained 
there  a  long  time.  But  his  ease  did  not  cause  him  to 
relax  his  vigilance.  He  was  looking  toward  the  north, 
and  he  could  see  two  hundred  yards  or  more  up  the 
creek  bed  to  a  point  where  it  curved.  The  bed  itself  was 
about  thirty  feet  wide,  although  the  water  did  not  have  a 
width  of  more  than  ten  feet. 

Everything  was  now  quite  dry,  as  the  wind  had  been 
blowing  all  day.  But  the  breeze  had  died  with  the  night, 
and  the  camp  was  so  still  that  Ned  could  hear  the 
faint  trickle  of  the  water  over  the  sand.  It  was  a  fair 


THE   FIGHT   WITH   URREA  43 

night,  with  a  cold  moon  and  cold  stars  looking  down. 
The  air  was  full  of  chill,  and  Ned  began  to  walk  up  and 
down  again  in  order  to  keep  warm.  He  noticed  Roylston 
still  sitting  with  eyes  wide  open  and  the  rifle  across 
his  lap. 

As  Ned  came  near  in  his  walk  the  merchant  turned 
his  bright  eyes  upon  him. 

"I  hear,"  he  said,  "that  you  have  seen  Santa  Anna." 

"More  than  once.  Several  times  when  I  was  a  pris- 
oner in  Mexico,  and  again  when  I  was  recaptured." 

"What  do  you  think  of  him  ?" 

The  gaze  of  the  bright  eyes  fixed  upon  Ned  became 
intense  and  concentrated. 

"A  great  man !    A  wickedly  great  man !" 

Roylston  turned  his  look  away,  and  interlaced  his 
fingers  thoughtfully. 

"A  good  description,  I  think,"  he  said.  "You  have 
chosen  your  words  well.  A  singular  compound  is  this 
Mexican,  a  mixture  of  greatness,  vanity  and  evil.  I  may 
talk  to  you  more  of  him  some  day.  But  I  tell  you  now 
that  I  am  particularly  desirous  of  not  being  carried  a 
prisoner  to  him." 

He  lifted  the  rifle,  put  its  stock  to  his  shoulder,  and 
drew  a  bead. 

"I  think  I  could  hit  at  forty  or  fifty  yards  in  this  good 
moonlight,"  he  said. 

He  replaced  the  rifle  across  his  knees  and  sighed. 
Ned  was  curious,  but  he  would  not  ask  questions,  and  he 
walked  back  to  his  old  position  by  the  bank.  Here  he 
made  himself  easy,  and  kept  his  eyes  on  the  deep  trench 
that  had  been  cut  by  the  stream.  The  shadows  were 
dark  against  the  bank,  but  it  seemed  to  him  that  they 
were  darker  than  they  had  been  before. 

Ned's  blood  turned  a  little  colder,  and  his  scalp  tingled. 


44  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

He  was  startled  but  not  afraid.  He  looked  intently,  and 
saw  moving  figures  in  the  river  bed,  keeping  close  against 
the  bank.  He  could  not  see  faces,  he  could  not  even  dis- 
cern a  clear  outline  of  the  figures,  but  he  had  no  doubt 
that  these  were  Urrea's  Mexicans.  He  waited  only  a 
moment  longer  to  assure  himself  that  the  dark  moving 
line  was  fact  and  not  fancy.  Then,  aiming  his  rifle  at 
the  foremost  shape,  he  fired.  While  the  echo  of  the 
sharp  crack  was  yet  speeding  across  the  plain  he  cried : 

"Up,  men!  up!    Urrea  is  here!" 

A  volley  came  from  the  creek  bed,  but  in  an  instant 
the  Panther,  Obed,  Will  and  Fields  were  by  Ned's  side. 

"Down  on  your  faces,"  cried  the  Panther,  "an'  pot  'em 
as  they  run !  So  they  thought  to  go  aroun'  the  grove, 
come  down  from  the  north  an'  surprise  us  this  way ! 
Give  it  to  'em,  boys !" 

The  rifles  flashed  and  the  dark  line  in  the  bed  of  the 
creek  now  broke  into  a  huddle  of  flying  forms.  Three 
fell,  but  the  rest  ran,  splashing  through  the  sand  and 
water,  until  they  turned  the  curve  and  were  protected 
from  the  deadly  bullets.  Then  the  Panther,  calling  to 
the  others,  rushed  to  the  other  side  of  the  grove,  where 
a  second  attack,  led  by  Urrea  in  person,  had  been  begun. 
Here  men  on  horseback  charged  directly  at  the  wood,  but 
they  were  met  by  a  fire  which  emptied  more  than  one 
saddle. 

Much  of  the  charge  was  a  blur  to  Ned,  a  medley  of 
fire  and  smoke,  of  beating  hoofs  and  of  cries.  But  one 
tfiing  he  saw  clearly  and  never  forgot.  It  was  the  lame 
man  with  the  thick  white  hair  sitting  with  his  back 
against  a  tree  calmly  firing  a  rifle  at  the  Mexicans. 
Roylston  had  time  for  only  two  shots,  but  when  he  re- 
loaded the  second  time  he  placed  the  rifle  across  his 
knees  as  before  and  smiled. 


THE   FIGHT   WITH   URREA  45 

Most  Mexican  troops  would  have  been  content  with 
a  single  charge,  but  these  returned,  encouraged  by  shouts 
and  driven  on  by  fierce  commands.  Ned  saw  a  figure 
waving  a  sword.  He  believed  it  to  be  Urrea,  and  he 
fired,  but  he  missed,  and  the  next  moment  the  horseman 
was  lost  in  the  shadows. 

The  second  charge  was  beaten  back  like  the  first,  and 
several  skirmishers  who  tried  to  come  anew  down  the 
bed  of  the  creek  were  also  put  to  flight.  Two  Mexicans 
got  into  the  thickets  and  tried  to  stampede  the  horses, 
but  the  quickness  of  Obed  and  Fields  defeated  their  aim. 
One  of  the  Mexicans  fell  there,  but  the  other  escaped  in 
the  darkness. 

When  the  second  charge  was  driven  back  and  the 
horses  were  quieted  the  Panther  and  Obed  threshed  up 
the  woods,  lest  some  Mexican  musketeer  should  lie  hid- 
den there. 

Nobody  slept  any  more  that  night.  Ned,  Will  and  the 
Panther  kept  a  sharp  watch  upon  the  bed  of  the  creek, 
the  moon  and  stars  fortunately  aiding  them.  But  the 
Mexicans  did  not  venture  again  by  that  perilous 
road,  although  toward  morning  they  opened  a  scatter- 
ing fire  from  the  plain,  many  of  their  bullets  whist- 
ling at  random  among  the  trees  and  thickets.  Some 
of  the  Texans,  crawling  to  the  edge  of  the  wood, 
replied,  but  they  seemed  to  have  little  chance  for  a 
good  shot,  as  the  Mexicans  lay  behind  a  swell.  The 
besiegers  grew  tired  after  a  while  and  silence  came 
again. 

Three  of  the  Texans  had  suffered  slight  wounds,  but 
the  Panther  and  Fields  bound  them  up  skillfully.  It  was 
still  light  enough  for  these  tasks.  Fields  was  particularly 
jubilant  over  their  success,  as  he  had  a  right  to  be.  The 
day  before  he  could  look  forward  only  to  his  own  execu- 


46  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

tion.    Now  he  was  free  and  victorious.     Exultantly  he 
hummed : 

You've  heard,  I  s'pose,  of  New  Orleans, 

It's  famed  for  youth  and  beauty; 
There  are  girls  of  every  hue,  it  seems, 

From  snowy  white  to  sooty. 
Now  Packenham  has  made  his  brags, 

If  he  that  day  was  lucky, 
He'd  have  the  girls  and  cotton  bags 

In  spite  of  Old  Kentucky. 

But  Jackson,  he  was  wide  awake, 

And  was  not  scared  at  trifles, 
For  well  he  knew  Kentucky's  boys, 

With  their  death-dealing  rifles. 
He  led  them  down  to  cypress  swamp, 

The  ground  was  low  and  mucky; 
There  stood  John  Bull  in  martial  pomp, 

And  here  stood  old  Kentucky. 

"Pretty  good  song,  that  of  yours,"  said  the  Panther 
approvingly.  "Where  did  you  get  it?" 

"From  my  father,"  replied  Fields.  "He's  a  Ken- 
tuckian,  an'  he  fit  at  New  Orleans.  He  was  always 
hummin'  that  song,  an'  it  come  back  to  me  after  we 
drove  off  the  Mexicans.  Struck  me  that  it  was  right 
timely." 

Ned  and  Will,  on  their  own  initiative,  had  been  draw- 
ing all  the  fallen  logs  that  they  could  find  and  move  to 
the  edge  of  the  wood,  and  having  finished  the  task  they 
came  back  to  the  bed  of  the  creek.  Roylston,  the  rifle 
across  his  knees,  was  sitting  with  his  eyes  closed,  but  he 
opened  them  as  they  approached.  They  were  uncom- 
monly large  and  bright  eyes,  and  they  expressed  pleasure. 

"It  gratifies  me  to  see  that  neither  of  you  is  hurt,"  he 
said.  "This  has  been  a  strange  night  for  two  who  are  as 


THE   FIGHT   WITH   URREA  47 

young  as  you  are.  And  it  is  a  strange  night  for  me,  too. 
I  never  before  thought  that  I  should  be  firing  at  any  one 
with  intent  to  kill.  But  events  are  often  too  powerful 
for  us." 

He  closed  his  eyes  again. 

"I  am  going  to  sleep  a  little,  if  I  can,"  he  said. 

But  Ned  and  Will  could  not  sleep.  They  went  to 
Ned's  old  position  at  the  edge  of  the  creek  bed,  and  to- 
gether watched  the  opening  dawn.  They  saw  the  bright 
sun  rise  over  the  great  plains,  and  the  dew  sparkle  for  a 
little  while  on  the  brown  grass.  The  day  was  cold,  but 
apparently  it  had  come  with  peace.  They  saw  nothing 
on  the  plain,  although  they  had  no  doubt  that  the  Mexi- 
cans were  waiting  just  beyond  the  first  swell.  But  Ned 
and  Will  discerned  three  dark  objects  lying  on  the  sand 
up  the  bed  of  the  creek,  and  they  knew  that  they  were 
the  men  who  had  fallen  in  the  first  rush.  Ned  was  glad 
that  he  could  not  see  their  faces. 

At  the  suggestion  of  the  Panther  they  lighted  fires 
and  had  warm  food  and  coffee  again,  thus  putting  heart 
into  all  the  defenders.  Then  the  Panther  chose  Ned  for 
a  little  scouting  work  on  horseback.  Ned  found  Old 
Jack  seeking  blades  of  grass  within  the  limits  allowed 
by  his  lariat.  But  when  the  horse  saw  his  master  he 
stretched  out  his  head  and  neighed. 

"I  think  I  understand  you,"  said  Ned.  "Not  enough 
food  and  no  water.  Well,  I'll  see  that  you  get  both  later, 
but  just  now  we're  going  on  a  little  excursion." 

The  Panther  and  Ned  rode  boldly  out  of  the  trees, 
and  advanced  a  short  distance  upon  the  plain.  Two  or 
three  shots  were  fired  from  a  point  behind  the  first  swell, 
but  the  bullets  fell  far  short. 

"I  counted  on  that,"  said  the  Panther.  "If  a  Mexican 
Jias  a  gun  it's  mighty  hard  for  him  to  keep  from  firing 


48  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

it.  All  we  wanted  to  do  was  to  uncover  their  position 
an'  we've  done  it.  We'll  go  back  now,  an'  wait  fur  them 
to  make  the  first  move." 

But  they  did  not  go  just  yet.  A  man  on  horseback 
waving  a  large  white  handkerchief  appeared  on  the  crest 
of  the  swell  and  rode  toward  them.  It  was  Urrea. 

"He  knows  that  he  can  trust  us,  while  we  don't  know 
that  we  can  trust  him,"  said  the  Panther,  "so  we'll  just 
wait  here  an'  see  what  he  has  to  say." 

Urrea,  looking  fresh  and  spirited,  came  on  with  con- 
fidence and  saluted  in  a  light  easy  fashion.  The  two 
Americans  did  not  return  the  salute,  but  waited  gravely. 

"We  can  be  polite,  even  if  we  are  enemies,"  said 
Urrea,  "so  I  say  good  morning  to  you  both,  former 
friends  of  mine." 

"I  have  no  friendship  with  spies  and  traitors,"  growled 
the  Panther. 

"I  serve  my  country  in  the  way  I  think  best,"  said 
Urrea,  "and  you  must  remember  that  in  our  view  you 
two  are  rebels  and  traitors." 

"We  don't  stab  in  the  back,"  said  the  Panther. 

Urrea  flushed  through  his  swarthy  skin. 

"We  will  not  argue  the  point  any  further,"  he  said, 
"but  come  at  once  to  the  business  before  us.  First,  I  will 
admit  several  things.  Your  rescue  of  the  prisoners  was 
very  clever.  Also  you  beat  us  off  last  night,  but  I  now 
have  a  hundred  men  with  me  and  we  have  plenty  of  arms. 
We  are  bound  to  take  you  sooner  or  later." 

"Then  why  talk  to  us  about  it  ?"  said  the  Panther. 

"Because  I  wish  to  save  bloodshed." 

"Wa'al,  then,  what  do  you  have  to  say  ?" 

"Give  us  the  man,  Roylston,  and  the  rest  of  you  can 
go  free." 

"Why  are  you  so  anxious  to  have  Roylston  ?" 


THE   FIGHT   WITH   URREA  49 

Ned  eagerly  awaited  the  answer.  It  was  obvious  that 
Roylston  had  rather  minimized  his  own  importance. 
Urrea  flicked  the  mane  of  his  mustang  with  a  small  whip 
and  replied: 

"Our  President  and  General,  the  illustrious  Santa 
Anna,  is  extremely  anxious  to  see  him.  Secrets  of  state 
are  not  for  me.  I  merely  seek  to  do  my  work." 

"Then  you  take  this  from  me,"  said  the  Panther,  a 
blunt  frontiersman,  "my  comrades  an'  me  ain't  buyin' 
our  lives  at  the  price  of  nobody  else's." 

"You  feel  that  way  about  it,  do  you  ?" 

"That's  just  the  way  we  feel,  and  I  want  to  say,  too, 
that  I  wouldn't  take  the  word  of  either  you  or  your  Santa 
Anna.  If  we  was  to  give  up  Mr.  Roylston — which  we 
don't  dream  of  doin' — you'd  be  after  us  as  hot  an'  strong 
as  ever." 

Urrea's  swarthy  cheeks  flushed  again. 

"I  shall  not  notice  your  insults,"  he  said.  "They  are 
beneath  me.  I  am  a  Mexican  officer  and  gentleman,  and 
you  are  mere  riders  of  the  plains." 

"All  the  same,"  said  the  Panther  grimly,  "if  you  are 
goin'  to  talk  you  have  to  talk  with  us." 

"That  is  true,"  said  Urrea  lightly,  having  regained 
complete  control  of  his  temper.  "In  war  one  cannot 
choose  his  enemies.  I  make  you  the  proposition  once 
more.  Give  us  Roylston  and  go.  If  you  do  not  accept 
we  shall  nevertheless  take  him  and  all  of  you  who  do  not 
fall  first.  Remember  that  you  are  rebels  and  traitors  and 
that  you  will  surely  be  shot  or  hanged." 

"I  don't  remember  any  of  them  things,"  said  the  Pan- 
ther grimly.  "What  I  do  remember  is  that  we  are  Texans 
fightin'  fur  our  rights.  To  hang  a  man  you've  first  got 
to  catch  him,  an'  to  shoot  him  you've  first  got  to  hit  him. 
An'  since  things  are  to  be  remembered,  remember  that 


So  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

what  you  are  tryin'  to  do  to  us  we  may  first  do  to  you. 
An'  with  that  I  reckon  we'll  bid  you  good  day,  Mr. 
Urrea." 

Urrea  bowed,  but  said  nothing.  He  rode  back  toward 
his  men,  and  Ned  and  the  Panther  returned  to  the  grove. 
Roylston  was  much  better  that  morning  and  he  was  able 
to  stand,  leaning  against  a  tree. 

"May  I  ask  the  result  of  your  conference,"  he  said. 

"There  ain't  no  secret  about  it,"  replied  the  Panther, 
"but  them  Mexicans  seem  to  be  almighty  fond  of  you, 
Mr.  Roylston." 

"In  what  way  did  they  show  it  ?" 

"Urrea  said  that  all  of  us  could  go  if  we  would  give 
up  you." 

"And  your  answer?" 

The  Panther  leaned  forward  a  little  on  his  horse. 

"You  know  something  about  the  Texans,  don't  you, 
Mr.  Roylston?" 

"I  have  had  much  opportunity  to  observe  and  study 
them." 

"Well,  they've  got  plenty  of  faults,  but  you  haven't 
heard  of  them  buyin'  their  lives  at  the  price  of  a  com- 
rade's, have  you  ?" 

"I  have  not,  but  I  wish  to  say,  Mr.  Palmer,  that  I'm 
sorry  you  returned  this  answer.  I  should  gladly  take 
my  chances  if  the  rest  of  you  could  go." 

"We'd  never  think  of  it,"  said  the  Panther.  "Besides, 
them  Mexicans  wouldn't  keep  their  word.  They're  goin' 
to  besiege  us  here,  hopin'  maybe  that  starvation  or  thirst 
will  make  us  give  you  up.  Now  the  first  thing  for  us 
to  do  is  to  get  water  for  the  horses." 

This  presented  a  problem,  as  the  horses  could  not  go 
down  to  the  creek,  owing  to  the  steep  high  banks,  but 
the  Texans  soon  solved  it.  The  cliff  was  soft  and  thev 


THE   FIGHT   WITH   URREA  51 

quickly  cut  a  smooth  sloping  path  with  their  knives  and 
hatchets.  Old  Jack  was  the  first  to  walk  down  it  and  Ned 
led  him.  The  horse  hung  back  a  little,  but  Ned  patted 
his  head  and  talked  to  him  as  a  friend  and  equal.  Under 
such  persuasion  Old  Jack  finally  made  the  venture,  and 
when  he  landed  safely  at  the  bottom  he  drank  eagerly. 
Then  the  other  two  horses  followed.  Meanwhile  two 
riflemen  kept  a  keen  watch  up  and  down  the  creek  bed 
for  lurking  Mexican  sharpshooters. 

But  the  watering  of  the  horses  was  finished  without 
incident,  and  they  were  tethered  once  more  in  the  thicket. 
Fields  and  another  man  kept  a  watch  upon  the  plain,  and 
the  rest  conferred  under  the  trees.  The  Panther  an- 
nounced that  by  a  great  reduction  of  rations  the  food 
could  be  made  to  last  two  days  longer.  It  was  not  a 
cheerful  statement,  as  the  Mexicans  must  know  the 
scanty  nature  of  their  supplies,  and  would  wait  with  all 
the  patience  of  Indians. 

"All  things,  including  starvation,  come  to  him  who 
waits  long  enough,"  said  Obed  White  soberly. 

"Well  jest  set  the  day  through,"  said  the  Panther, 
"an'  see  what  turns  up." 

But  the  day  was  quite  peaceful.  It  was  warmer  than 
usual  and  bright  with  sunshine.  The  Mexicans  appeared 
on  some  of  the  knolls,  seemingly  near  in  the  thin  clear 
air,  but  far  enough  away  to  be  out  of  rifle  shot,  and  be- 
gan to  play  cards  or  loll  on  their  scrapes.  Several  went 
to  sleep. 

"They  mean  to  show  us  that  they  have  all  the  time  in 
the  world,"  said  Ned  to  Will,  "and  that  they  are  willing 
to  wait  until  we  fall  like  ripe  apples  into  their  hands." 

"Do  you  think  they  will  get  us  again?"  asked  Will 
anxiously. 

"I  don't.    We've  got  food  for  two  days  and  I  believe 


52  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

that  something  will  happen  in  our  favor  within  that  time. 
Do  you  notice,  Will,  that  it's  beginning  to  cloud  up 
again  ?  In  winter  you  can't  depend  upon  bright  sunshine 
to  last  always.  I  think  we're  going  to  have  a  dark  night 
and  it's  given  me  an  idea." 

"What  is  it?" 

"I  won't  tell  you,  because  it  may  amount  to 
nothing.  It  all  depends  upon  what  kind  of  night  we 
have." 

The  sun  did  not  return.  The  clouds  banked  up  more 
heavily,  and  in  the  afternoon  Ned  went  to  the  Panther. 
They  talked  together  earnestly,  looking  frequently  at  the 
skies,  and  the  faces  of  both  expressed  satisfaction.  Then 
they  entered  the  bed  of  the  creek  and  examined  it  criti- 
cally. Will  was  watching  them.  When  the  two  sepa- 
rated and  Ned  came  toward  him,  he  said : 

"I  can  guess  your  idea  now.  We  mean  to  escape  to- 
night up  the  bed  of  the  creek." 

Ned  nodded. 

"Your  first  guess  is  good,"  he  said.  "If  the  promise 
of  a  dark  night  keeps  up  we're  going  to  try." 

The  promise  was  fulfilled.  The  Mexicans  made  no 
hostile  movement  throughout  the  afternoon,  but  they 
maintained  a  rigid  watch. 

When  the  sun  had  set  and  the  thick  night  had  come 
down  the  Panther  told  of  the  daring  enterprise  they  were 
about  to  undertake,  and  all  approved.  By  nine  o'clock 
the  darkness  was  complete,  and  the  little  band  gathered 
at  the  point  where  the  path  was  cut  down  into  the  bed 
of  the  creek.  It  was  likely  that  Mexicans  were  on  all 
sides  of  the  grove,  but  the  Panther  did  not  believe  that 
any  of  them,  owing  to  bitter  experience,  would  enter 
the  cut  made  by  the  stream.  But,  as  leader,  he  insisted 
upon  the  least  possible  noise.  The  greatest  difficulty 


THE   FIGHT   WITH   URREA  53 

would  be  with  the  horses.  Ned,  at  the  head  of  Old  Jack, 
led  the  way. 

Old  Jack  made  the  descent  without  slipping  and  in  a 
few  minutes  the  entire  force  stood  upon  the  sand.  They 
had  made  no  sound  that  any  one  could  have  heard  thirty 
yards  away. 

"Now  Mr.  Roylston,"  whispered  the  Panther  to  the 
merchant,  "you  get  on  Ned's  horse  an'  we'll  be  off." 

Roylston  sighed.  It  hurt  his  pride  that  he  should  be 
a  burden,  but  he  was  a  man  of  few  words,  and  he 
mounted  in  silence.  Then  they  moved  slowly  over  the 
soft  sand.  They  had  loaded  the  extra  rifles  and  muskets 
on  the  other  two  horses,  but  every  man  remained  thor- 
oughly armed  and  ready  on  the  instant  for  any  emer- 
gency. 

The  Panther  and  Obed  led.  Just  behind  them  came 
Ned  and  Will.  They  went  very  slowly  in  order  to  keep 
the  horses'  feet  from  making  any  sound  that  listening 
Mexican  sentinels  might  hear.  They  were  fortunate 
in  the  sand,  which  was  fine  and  soundless  like  a  carpet. 
Ned  thought  that  the  Mexicans  would  not  make  any  at- 
tempt upon  the  grove  until  late  at  night,  and  then  only 
with  skirmishers  and  snipers.  Or  they  might  not  make 
any  attempt  at  all,  content  with  their  cordon. 

But  it  was  thrilling  work  as  they  crept  along  on  the 
soft  sand  in  the  darkness  and  between  the  high  banks. 
Ned  felt  a  prickling  of  the  blood.  An  incautious  foot- 
step or  a  stumble  by  one  of  the  horses  might  bring  the 
whole  Mexican  force  down  upon  them  at  any  moment. 
But  there  was  no  incautious  footstep.  Nor  did  any 
horse  stumble.  The  silent  procession  moved  on,  passed 
the  curve  in  the  bed  of  the  creek  and  continued  its  course. 

Urrea  had  surrounded  the  grove  completely.  His 
men  were  on  both  sides  of  the  creek,  but  no  sound  came 


54  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

to  them,  and  they  had  a  healthy  respect  for  the  deadly 
Texan  rifles.  Their  leader  had  certainly  been  wise  in 
deciding  to  starve  them  out.  Meanwhile  the  little  pro- 
cession in  the  bed  of  the  creek  increased  its  speed  slightly. 

The  Texans  were  now  a  full  four  hundred  yards  from 
the  grove,  and  their  confidence  was  rising. 

"If  they  don't  discover  our  absence  until  morning," 
whispered  Ned  to  Will,  "we'll  surely  get  away." 

"Then  I  hope  they  won't  discover  it  until  then," 
said  Will  fervently.  "I  don't  want  to  die  in  battle  just 
now,  nor  do  I  want  to  be  executed  in  Mexico  for  a  rebel 
or  for  anything  else." 

They  were  now  a  full  mile  from  the  grove  and  the 
banks  of  the  creek  were  decreasing  in  height.  They 
did  not  rise  anywhere  more  than  three  or  four  feet.  But 
the  water  increased  in  depth  and  the  margin  of  sand  was 
narrower.  The  Panther  called  a  halt  and  they  listened. 
They  heard  no  sound  but  the  faint  moaning  of  the  wind 
among  the  dips  and  swells,  and  the  long  lone  howl  of  a 
lonesome  coyote. 

"We've  slipped  through  'em !  By  the  great  horn  spoon, 
we've  slipped  through  'em !"  said  the  Panther  exultantly. 
"Now,  boys,  we'll  take  to  the  water  here  to  throw  'em 
off  our  track,  when  they  try  to  follow  it  in  the  mornin'." 

The  creek  was  now  about  three  feet  in  depth  and  flow- 
ing slowly  like  most  streams  in  that  region,  but  over  a 
bed  of  hard  sand,  where  the  trace  of  a  footstep  would 
quickly  vanish. 

"The  water  is  likely  to  be  cold,"  said  the  Panther,  "an' 
if  any  fellow  is  afraid  of  it  he  can  stay  behind  and  con- 
sort with  the  Mexicans  who  don't  care  much  for  water." 

"Lead  on,  Macduff,"  said  Obed,  "and  there's  nobody 
who  will  cry  'hold,  enough.'  " 

The  Panther  waded  directly  into  the  middle  of  the 


THE   FIGHT   WITH   URREA  55 

stream,  and  all  the  others  followed.  The  horses,  splash- 
ing the  water,  made  some  noise,  but  they  were  not  so 
careful  in  that  particular  now  since  they  had  put  a  mile 
between  themselves  and  the  grove.  In  fact,  the  Panther 
urged  them  to  greater  speed,  careless  of  the  sounds,  and 
they  kept  in  the  water  for  a  full  two  miles  further.  Then 
they  quit  the  stream  at  a  point  where  the  soil  seemed 
least  likely  to  leave  traces  of  their  footsteps,  and  stood 
for  a  little  while  upon  the  prairie,  resting  and  shivering. 
Then  they  started  at  a  rapid  pace  across  the  country, 
pushing  for  the  Rio  Grande  until  noon.  Then  Fields 
stalked  and  shot  an  antelope,  with  which  they  renewed 
their  supply  of  food.  In  the  afternoon  it  rained  heavily, 
but  by  dark  they  reached  the  Rio  Grande,  across  which 
they  made  a  dangerous  passage,  as  the  waters  had  risen, 
and  stood  once  more  on  the  soil  of  Texas. 

"Thank  God!"  said  Will. 

"Thank  God !"  repeated  Ned. 

Then  they  looked  for  shelter,  which  all  felt  they  must 
have. 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  CABIN   IN   THE  WOODS 

IT  proved  a  difficult  matter  to  find  shelter.  All  the 
members  of  the  little  group  were  wet  and  cold, 
and  a  bitter  wind  with  snow  began  to  whistle  once 
more  across  the  plain.  But  every  one  strove  to  be  cheer- 
ful and  the  relief  that  their  escape  had  brought  was  still 
a  tonic  to  their  spirits.  Yet  they  were  not  without  com- 
ment upon  their  condition. 

"I've  seen  hard  winters  in  Maine,"  said  Obed  White, 
"but  there  you  were  ready  for  them.  Here  it  tricks  you 
with  warm  sunshine  and  then  with  snow.  You  suffer 
from  surprise." 

"We've  got  to  find  a  cabin,"  said  the  Panther. 

"Why  not  make  it  a  whole  city  with  a  fine  big  hotel 
right  in  the  center  of  it?"  said  Obed.  "Seems  to  me 
there's  about  as  much  chance  of  one  as  the  other." 

"No,  there  ain't,"  said  the  Panther.  "There  ain't  no 
town,  but  there  are  huts.  I've  rid  over  this  country  for 
twenty  year  an'  I  know  somethin'  about  it.  There  are 
four  or  five  settlers'  cabins  in  the  valleys  of  the  creeks 
runnin'  down  to  the  Rio  Grande.  I  had  a  mighty  good 
dinner  at  one  of  'em  once.  They're  more'n  likely  to  be 
abandoned  now  owin'  to  the  war  an'  their  exposed  situa- 
tion, but  if  the  roofs  haven't  fell  in  any  of  'em  is  good 
enough  for  us." 

"Then  you  lead  on,"  said  Obed.  "The  quicker  we  get 
there  the  happier  all  of  us  will  be." 

56 


THE   CABIN   IN   THE   WOODS  57 

"I  may  not  lead  straight,  but  I'll  get  you  there,"  re- 
plied the  Panther  confidently. 

Roylston,  at  his  own  urgent  insistence,  dismounted  and 
walked  a  little  while.  When  he  betook  himself  again  to 
the  back  of  Old  Jack  he  spoke  with  quiet  confidence. 

"I'm  regaining  my  strength  rapidly,"  he  said.  "In  a 
week  or  two  I  shall  be  as  good  as  I  ever  was.  Meanwhile 
my  debt  to  you,  already  great,  is  accumulating." 

The  Panther  laughed. 

"You  don't  owe  us  nothin',"  he  said.  "Why,  on  this 
frontier  it's  one  man's  business  to  help  another  out  of  a 
scrape.  If  we  didn't  do  that  we  couldn't  live." 

"Nevertheless,  I  shall  try  to  pay  it,"  said  Roylston,  in 
significant  tones. 

"For  the  moment  we'll  think  of  that  hut  we're  lookin' 
for,"  said  the  Panther. 

"It  will  be  more  than  a  hut,"  said  Will,  who  was  of  a 
singularly  cheerful  nature.  "I  can  see  it  now.  It  will 
be  a  gorgeous  palace.  Its  name  will  be  the  Inn  of  the 
Panther.  Menials  in  gorgeous  livery  will  show  us  to 
our  chambers,  one  for  every  man,  where  we  will  sleep 
between  white  sheets  of  the  finest  linen." 

"I  wonder  if  they  will  let  us  take  our  rifles  to  bed 
with  us,"  said  Ned,  "because  in  this  country  I  don't  feel 
that  I  can  part  with  mine,  even  for  a  moment." 

"That  is  a  mere  detail  which  we  will  discuss  with  our 
host,"  said  Obed.  "Perhaps,  after  you  have  eaten  of 
the  chicken  and  drunk  of  the  wine  at  this  glorious  Inn  of 
the  Panther,  you  will  not  be  so  particular  about  the  com- 
pany of  your  rifle,  Mr.  Fulton." 

The  Panther  uttered  a  cry  of  joy. 

"I've  got  my  b'arin's  exactly  now,"  he  said.  "It  ain't 
more'n  four  miles  to  a  cabin  that  I  know  of,  an'  if  raiders 
haven't  smashed  it  it'll  give  us  all  the  shelter  we  want." 


^8  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"Then  lead  us  swiftly,"  said  Obed.  "There's  no  sunset 
or  anything  to  give  me  mystical  lore,  but  the  coming  of 
that  cabin  casts  its  shadow  before,  or  at  least  I  want  it 
to  do  it." 

The  Panther's  announcement  brought  new  courage  to 
every  one  and  they  quickened  their  lagging  footsteps. 
He  led  toward  a  dark  line  of  timber  which  now  began  to 
show  through  the  driving  snow,  and  when  they  passed 
among  the  trees  he  announced  once  more  and  with  ex- 
ultation : 

"Only  a  mile  farther,  boys,  an'  we'll  be  where  the 
cabin  stands,  or  stood.  Don't  git  your  feelin's  too  high, 
'cause  it  may  have  been  wiped  off  the  face  of  the  earth." 

A  little  later  he  uttered  another  cry,  and  this  was  the 
most  exultant  of  all. 

"There  she  is,"  he  said,  pointing  ahead.  'She  ain't 
been  wiped  away  by  nobody  or  nothin'.  Don't  you  see 
her,  that  big,  stout  cabin  ahead?" 

"I  do,"  said  young  Allen  joyously,  "and  it's  the  Inn  of 
the  Panther  as  sure  as  you  live." 

"But  I  don't  see  any  smoke  coming  out  of  the  chim- 
ney," said  Ned,  "and  there  are  no  gorgeous  menials 
standing  on  the  doorstep  waiting  for  us." 

"It's  been  abandoned  a  long  time,"  said  the  Panther. 
"I  can  tell  that  by  its  looks,  but  I'm  thinkin'  that  it's  good 
enough  fur  us  an'  mighty  welcome.  An'  there's  a  shed 
behind  the  house  that'll  do  for  the  horses.  Boys,  we're 
travelin'  in  tall  luck." 

The  cabin,  a  large  one,  built  of  logs  and  adobe,  was 
certainly  a  consoling  sight.  They  had  almost  reached 
the  limit  of  physical  endurance,  but  they  broke  into  a 
run  to  reach  it.  The  Panther  and  Ned  were  the  first  to 
push  open  a  heavy  swinging  door,  and  they  entered  side 
by  side.  It  was  dry  within.  The  solid  board  roof  did 


THE   CABIN   IN   THE   WOODS  59 

not  seem  to  be  damaged  at  all,  and  the  floor  of  hard, 
packed  earth  was  as  dry  as  a  bone  also.  At  one  end  were 
a  wide  stone  fireplace,  cold  long  since,  and  a  good  chim- 
ney of  mud  and  sticks.  There  were  two  windows,  closed 
with  heavy  clapboard  shutters. 

There  was  no  furniture  in  the  cabin  except  two  rough 
wooden  benches.  Evidently  the  original  owners  had 
prepared  well  for  their  flight,  but  it  was  likely  that  no 
one  had  come  since.  The  lonely  place  among  the  trees 
had  passed  unobserved  by  raiders.  The  shed  behind  the 
cabin  was  also  in  good  condition,  and  they  tethered  there 
the  horses,  which  were  glad  enough  to  escape  from  the 
bitter  wind  and  driving  snow. 

The  whole  party  gathered  in  the  cabin,  and  as  they 
no  longer  feared  pursuit  it  was  agreed  unanimously  that 
they  must  have  luxury.  In  this  case  a  fire  meant  the 
greatest  of  all  luxuries. 

They  gathered  an  abundance  of  fallen  wood,  knocked 
the  snow  from  it  and  heaped  it  on  either  side  of  the  fire- 
place. They  cut  with  infinite  difficulty  dry  shavings  from 
the  inside  of  the  logs  in  the  wall  of  the  house,  and  after 
a  full  hour  of  hard  work  lighted  a  blaze  with  flint  and 
steel.  The  rest  was  easy,  and  soon  they  had  a  roaring 
fire.  They  fastened  the  door  with  the  wooden  bar  which 
stood  in  its  place  and  let  the  windows  remain  shut.  Al- 
though there  was  a  lack  of  air,  they  did  not  yet  feel  it, 
and  gave  themselves  up  to  the  luxury  of  the  glowing  heat. 

They  took  off  their  clothes  and  held  them  before  the 
fire.  When  they  were  dry  and  warm  they  put  them  on 
again  and  felt  like  new  beings.  Strips  of  the  antelope 
were  fried  on  the  ends  of  ramrods,  and  they  ate  plenti- 
fully. All  the  chill  was  driven  from  their  bodies,  and  in 
its  place  came  a  deep  pervading  sense  of  comfort.  The 
bitter  wind  yet  howled  without  and  they  heard  the  snow 


6o  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

driven  against  the  door  and  windows.  The  sound  height- 
ened their  feeling  of  luxury.  They  were  like  a  troop  of 
boys  now,  all  of  them — except  Roylston.  He  sat  on  one 
of  the  piles  of  wood  and  his  eyes  gleamed  as  the  others 
talked. 

"I  vote  that  we  enlarge  the  name  of  our  inn,"  said 
Allen.  "Since  our  leader  has  black  hair  and  black  eyes, 
let's  call  it  the 'inn  of  the  Black  Panther.  All  in  favor 
of  that  motion  say  'Aye.' " 

"Aye!"  they  roared. 

"All  against  it  say  'no.'  " 

Silence. 

"The  Inn  of  the  Black  Panther  it  is,"  said  Will,  "an' 
it  is  the  most  welcome  inn  that  ever  housed  me." 

The  Panther  smiled  benevolently. 

"I  don't  blame  you  boys  for  havin'  a  little  fun,"  he 
said.  "It  does  feel  good  to  be  here  after  all  that  we've 
been  through." 

The  joy  of  the  Texans  was  irrepressible.  Fields  began 
to  pat  and  three  or  four  of  them  danced  up  and  down 
the  earthen  floor  of  the  cabin.  Will  watched  with  dancing 
eyes.  Ned,  more  sober,  sat  by  his  side. 

However,  the  highest  spirits  must  grow  calm  at  last, 
and  gradually  the  singing  and  dancing  ceased.  It  had 
grown  quite  close  in  the  cabin  now,  and  one  of  the  win- 
dow shutters  was  thrown  open,  permitting  a  rush  of  cool, 
fresh  air  that  was  very  welcome.  Ned  looked  out.  The 
wind  was  still  whistling  and  moaning,  and  the  snow,  like 
a  white  veil,  hid  the  trees. 

The  men  one  by  one  went  to  sleep  on  the  floor.  Obed 
and  Fields  kept  watch  at  the  window  during  the  first 
half  of  the  night,  and  the  Panther  and  Ned  relieved 
them  for  the  second  half.  They  heard  nothing  but  the 
wind,  and  saw  nothing  but  the  snow.  Day  came  with  a 


THE   CABIN   IN   THE   WOODS  61 

hidden  sun,  and  the  fine  snow  still  driven  by  the  wind, 
but  the  Panther,  a  good  judge  of  weather,  predicted  a 
cessation  of  the  snow  within  an  hour. 

The  men  awoke  and  rose  slowly  from  the  floor.  They 
were  somewhat  stiff,  but  no  one  had  been  overcome,  and 
after  a  little  stretching  of  the  muscles  all  the  soreness 
disappeared.  The  horses  were  within  the  shed,  unharmed 
and  warm,  but  hungry.  They  relighted  the  fire  and 
broiled  more  strips  of  the  antelope,  but  they  saw  that 
little  would  be  left.  The  Panther  turned  to  Roylston, 
who  inspired  respect  in  them  all. 

"Now,  Mr.  Roylston,"  he  said,  "we've  got  to  agree 
upon  some  course  of  action  an'  we've  got  to  put  it  to 
ourselves  squar'ly.  I  take  it  that  all  of  us  want  to  serve 
Texas  in  one  way  or  another,  but  we've  got  only  three 
horses,  we're  about  out  of  food,  an'  we're  a  long  distance 
from  the  main  Texas  settlements.  It  ain't  any  use  fur 
us  to  start  to  rippin'  an*  t'arin'  unless  we've  got  some- 
thin'  to  rip  an'  t'ar  with." 

"Good  words,"  said  Obed  White.  "A  speech  in  time 
saves  errors  nine." 

"I  am  glad  you  have  put  the  question,  Mr.  Palmer," 
said  Roylston.  "Our  affairs  have  come  to  a  crisis,  and 
we  must  consider.  I,  too,  wish  to  help  Texas,  but  I  can 
help  it  more  by  other  ways  than  battle." 

It  did  not  occur  to  any  of  them  to  doubt  him.  He  had 
already  established  over  them  the  mental  ascendency 
that  comes  from  a  great  mind  used  to  dealing  with  great 
affairs. 

"But  we  are  practically  dismounted,"  he  continued. 
"It  is  winter  and  we  do  not  know  what  would  happen  to 
us  if  we  undertook  to  roam  over  the  prairies  as  we  are. 
On  the  other  hand,  we  have  an  abundance  of  arms  and 
ammunition  and  a  large  and  well-built  cabin.  I  suggest 


62  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

that  we  supply  ourselves  with  food,  and  stay  here  until 
we  can  acquire  suitable  mounts.  We  may  also  contrive 
to  keep  a  watch  upon  any  Mexican  armies  that  may 
be  marching  north.  I  perhaps  have  more  reason 
than  any  of  you  for  hastening  away,  but  I  can 
spend  the  time  profitably  in  regaining  the  use  of  my 
limbs." 

"Your  little  talk  sounds  mighty  good  to  me,"  said  the 
Panther.  "In  fact,  I  don't  see  anything  else  to  do.  This 
cabin  must  have  been  built  an'  left  here  'speshully  fur  us. 
We  know,  too,  that  the  Texans  have  all  gone  home, 
thinkin'  that  the  war  is  over,  while  we  know  different  an' 
mebbe  we  can  do  more  good  here  than  anywhere  else. 
What  do  you  say,  boys?  Do  we  stay?" 

"We  stay,"  replied  all  together. 

They  went  to  work  at  once  fitting  up  their  house. 
More  firewood  was  brought  in.  Fortunately  the  men  had 
been  provided  with  hatchets,  in  the  frontier  style,  which 
their  rescuers  had  not  neglected  to  bring  away,  and  they 
fixed  wooden  hooks  in  the  walls  for  their  extra  arms  and 
clothing.  A  half  dozen  scraped  away  a  large  area  of  the 
thin  snow  and  enabled  the  horses  to  find  grass.  A  fine 
spring  two  hundred  yards  away  furnished  a  supply  of 
water. 

After  the  horses  had  eaten  Obed,  the  Panther  and  Ned 
rode  away  in  search  of  game,  leaving  Mr.  Roylston  in 
command  at  the  cabin. 

The  snow  was  no  longer  falling,  and  that  which  lay 
on  the  ground  was  melting  rapidly. 

"I  know  this  country,"  said  the  Panther,  "an'  we've 
got  four  chances  for  game.  It  may  be  buffalo,  it  may  be 
deer,  it  may  be  antelope,  and  it  may  be  wild  turkeys.  I 
think  it  most  likely  that  we'll  find  buffalo.  We're  so  fur 
west  of  the  main  settlements  that  they're  apt  to  hang 


THE   CABIN    IN   THE   WOODS  63 

'roun'  here  in  the  winter  in  the  creek  bottoms,  an'  if  it 
snows  they'll  take  to  the  timber  fur  shelter." 

"And  it  has  snowed,"  said  Ned. 

"Jest  so,  an'  that  bein'  the  case  we'll  search  the  timber. 
Of  course  big  herds  couldn't  crowd  in  thar,  but  in  this 
part  of  the  country  we  gen'rally  find  the  buffalo  scat- 
tered in  little  bands." 

They  found  patches  of  forest,  generally  dwarfed  in 
character,  and  looked  diligently  for  the  great  game.  Once 
a  deer  sprang  out  of  a  thicket,  but  sped  away  so  fast 
they  did  not  get  a  chance  for  a  shot.  At  length  Obed 
saw  large  footprints  in  the  thinning  snow,  and  called  the 
Panther's  attention  to  them.  The  big  man  examined  the 
traces  critically. 

"Not  many  hours  old,"  he  said.  "I'm  thinkin'  that 
we'll  have  buffalo  steak  fur  supper.  We'll  scout  all  along 
this  timber.  What  we  want  is  a  young  cow.  Their  meat 
is  not  tough." 

They  rode  through  the  timber  for  about  two  hours, 
when  Ned  caught  sight  of  moving  figures  on  the  far  side 
of  a  thicket.  He  could  just  see  the  backs  of  large  ani- 
mals, and  he  knew  that  there  were  their  buffalo.  He 
pointed  them  out  to  the  Panther,  who  nodded. 

"We'll  ride  'roun'  the  thicket  as  gently  as  possible," 
he  said,  "an'  then  open  fire.  Remember,  we  want  a  ten- 
der young  cow,  two  of  'em  if  we  can  get  'em,  an'  don't 
fool  with  the  bulls." 

Ned's  heart  throbbed  as  Old  Jack  bore  him  around  the 
thicket.  He  had  fought  with  men,  but  he  was  not  yet  a 
buffalo  hunter.  Just  as  they  turned  the  flank  of  the 
bushes  a  huge  buffalo  bull,  catching  their  odor,  raised  his 
head  and  uttered  a  snort.  The  Panther  promptly  fired 
at  a  young  cow  just  beyond  him.  The  big  bull,  either 
frightened  or  angry,  leaped  head  down  at  Old  Jack.  The 


64  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

horse  was  without  experience  with  buffaloes,  but  he  knew 
that  those  sharp  horns  meant  no  good  to  him,  and  he 
sprang  aside  with  so  much  agility  that  Ned  was  almost 
unseated. 

The  big  bull  rushed  on,  and  Ned,  who  had  retained 
his  hold  upon  his  rifle,  was  tempted  to  take  a  shot  at  him 
for  revenge,  but,  remembering  the  Panther's  injunction, 
he  controlled  the  impulse  and  fired  at  a  young  cow. 

When  the  noise  and  confusion  were  over  and  the  sur- 
viving buffaloes  had  lumbered  away,  they  found  that  they 
had  slain  two  of  the  young  cows  and  that  they  had  an 
ample  supply  of  meat. 

"Ned,"  said  the  Panther,  "you  know  how  to  go  back 
to  the  cabin,  don't  you?" 

"I  can  go  straight  as  an  arrow." 

"Then  ride  your  own  horse,  lead  the  other  two  an' 
bring  two  men.  We'll  need  'em  with  the  work  here." 

The  Panther  and  Obed  were  already  at  work  skinning 
the  cows.  Ned  sprang  upon  Old  Jack,  and  rode  away  at 
a  trot,  leading  the  other  two  horses  by  their  lariats.  The 
snow  was  gone  now  and  the  breeze  was  almost  balmy. 
Ned  felt  that  great  rebound  of  the  spirits  of  which  the 
young  are  so  capable.  They  had  outwitted  Urrea,  they 
had  taken  his  prisoners  from  him,  and  then  had  escaped 
across  the  Rio  Grande.  They  had  found  shelter  and  now 
they  had  obtained  a  food  supply.  They  were  all  good 
comrades  together,  and  what  more  was  to  be  asked  ? 

He  whistled  as  he  rode  along,  but  when  he  was  half  way 
back  to  the  cabin  he  noticed  something  in  a  large  tree 
that  caused  him  to  stop.  He  saw  the  outlines  of  great 
bronze  birds,  and  he  knew  that  they  were  wild  turkeys. 
Wild  turkeys  would  make  a  fine  addition  to  their  larder, 
and,  halting  Old  Jack,  he  shot  from  his  back,  taking  care- 
ful aim  at  the  largest  of  the  turkeys.  The  huge  bird  fell, 


THE   CABIN   IN   THE   WOODS  65 

and  as  the  others  flew  away  Ned  was  lucky  enough  to 
bring  down  a  second  with  a  pistol  shot. 

His  trophies  were  indeed  worth  taking,  and  tying 
their  legs  together  with  a  withe  he  hung  them  across  his 
saddle  bow.  He  calculated  that  the  two  together  weighed 
nearly  sixty  pounds,  and  he  rode  triumphantly  when  he 
came  in  sight  of  the  cabin. 

Will  saw  him  first  and  gave  a  shout  that  drew  the 
other  men. 

"What  luck?"  hailed  young  Allen. 

"Not  much,"  replied  Ned,  "but  I  did  get  these  spar- 
rows." 

He  lifted  the  two  great  turkeys  from  his  saddle  and 
tossed  them  to  Will.  The  boy  caught  them,  but  he  was 
borne  to  his  knees  by  their  weight.  The  men  looked  at 
them  and  uttered  approving  words. 

"What  did  you  do  with  the  Panther  and  Obed?"  asked 
Fields. 

"The  last  I  saw  of  them  they  had  been  dismounted  and 
were  being  chased  over  the  plain  by  two  big  bull  buf- 
faloes. The  horns  of  the  buffaloes  were  then  not  more 
than  a  foot  from  the  seats  of  their  trousers.  So  I  caught 
their  horses,  and  I  have  brought  them  back  to  camp." 

"I  take  it,"  said  Fields,  "that  you've  had  good  luck." 

"We  have  had  the  finest  of  luck,"  replied  Ned.  "We 
ran  into  a  group  of  fifteen  or  twenty  buffaloes,  and  we 
brought  down  two  fine,  young  cows.  I  came  back  for 
two  more  men  to  help  with  them,  and  on  my  way  I  shot 
these  turkeys." 

Fields  and  another  man  named  Carter  returned  with 
Ned.  Young  Allen  was  extremely  anxious  to  go,  but  the 
others  were  chosen  on  account  of  their  experience  with 
the  work.  They  found  that  Obed  and  the  Panther 
had  already  done  the  most  of  it,  and  when  it  was  all 


66  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

finished  Fields  and  Carter  started  back  with  the  three 
horses,  heavily  laden.  As  the  night  promised  to  be  mild, 
and  the  snow  was  gone,  Ned,  Obed  and  the  Panther  re- 
mained in  the  grove  with  the  rest  of  their  food  supply. 

They  also  wished  to  preserve  the  two  buffalo  robes, 
and  they  staked  them  out  upon  the  ground,  scraping  them 
clean  of  flesh  with  their  knives.  Then  they  lighted  a 
fire  and  cooked  as  much  of  the  tender  meat  as  they 
wished.  By  this  time  it  was  dark  and  they  were  quite 
ready  to  rest.  They  put  out  the  fire  and  raked  up  the 
beds  of  leaves  on  which  they  would  spread  their  blankets. 
But  first  they  enjoyed  the  relaxation  of  the  nerves  and 
the  easy  talk  that  come  after  a  day's  work  well  done. 

"It  certainly  has  been  a  fine  day  for  us,"  said  Obed. 
"Sometimes  I  like  to  go  through  the  bad  days,  because 
it  makes  the  good  days  that  follow  all  the  better.  Yes- 
terday we  were  wandering  around  in  the  snow,  and  we 
had  nothing,  to-day  we  have  a  magnificent  city  home, 
that  is  to  say,  the  cabin,  and  a  beautiful  country  place, 
that  is  to  say,  this  grove.  I  can  add,  too,  that  our  nights 
in  our  country  place  are  spent  to  the  accompaniment  of 
music.  Listen  to  that  beautiful  song,  won't  you?" 

A  long,  whining  howl  rose,  sank  and  died.  After  an 
interval  they  heard  its  exact  duplicate  and  the  Panther 
remarked  tersely : 

"Wolves.  Mighty  hungry,  too.  They've  smelled  our 
buffalo  meat  and  they  want  it.  Guess  from  their  big 
voices  that  they're  timber  wolves  and  not  coyotes." 

Ned  knew  that  the  timber  wolf  was  a  much  larger  and 
fiercer  animal  than  his  prairie  brother,  and  he  did  not 
altogether  like  this  whining  sound  which  now  rose  and 
died  for  the  third  time. 

"Must  be  a  dozen  or  so,"  said  the  Panther,  noticing  the 
increasing  volume  of  sound.  "We'll  light  the  fire  again. 


THE   CABIN    IN   THE   WOODS  67 

Nothing  is  smarter  than  a  wolf,  an'  I  don't  want  one  of 
those  hulkin'  brutes  to  slip  up,  seize  a  fine  piece  of  buf- 
falo and  dash  away  with  it.  But  fire  will  hold  'em.  How 
a  wolf  does  dread  it !  The  little  red  flame  is  like  a  knife 
in  his  heart." 

They  lighted  four  small  fires,  making  a  rude  ring 
which  inclosed  their  leafy  beds  and  the  buffalo  skins  and 
meat.  Before  they  finished  the  task  they  saw  slim  dusky 
figures  among  the  trees  and  red  eyes  glaring  at  them. 
The  Panther  picked  up  a  stick  blazing  like  a  torch,  and 
made  a  sudden  rush  for  one  of  the  figures.  There  was  a 
howl  of  terror  and  a  sound  of  something  rushing  madly 
through  the  bushes. 

The  Panther  flung  his  torch  as  far  as  he  could  in  the 
direction  of  the  sounds  and  returned,  laughing  deep  in 
his  throat. 

"I  think  I  came  pretty  near  hittin'  the  master  wolf 
with  that,"  he  said,  "an*  I  guess  he's  good  an'  scared. 
But  they'll  come  back  after  a  while,  an'  don't  you  forget 
it.  For  that  reason,  I  think  we'd  better  keep  a  watch. 
We'll  divide  it  into  three  hours  apiece,  an'  we'll  give  you 
the  first,  Ned." 

Ned  was  glad  to  have  the  opening  watch,  as  it  would 
soon  be  over  and  done  with,  and  then  he  could  sleep  free 
from  care  about  any  watch  to  come.  The  Panther  and 
Obed  rolled  in  their  blankets,  found  sleep  almost  in- 
stantly, and  the  boy,  resolved  not  to  be  a  careless  sentinel, 
walked  in  a  circle  just  outside  the  fires. 

Sure  enough,  and  just  as  the  Panther  had  predicted, 
he  saw  the  red  eyes  and  dusky  forms  again.  Now  and 
then  he  heard  a  faint  pad  among  the  bushes,  and  he  knew 
that  a  wolf  had  made  it.  He  merely  changed  from  the 
outside  to  the  inside  of  the  fire  ring,  and  continued  his 
walk.  With  the  fire  about  him  and  his  friends  so  near 


68  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

he  was  not  afraid  of  wolves,  no  matter  how  big  and 
numerous  they  might  be. 

Yet  their  presence  in  the  bushes,  the  light  shuffle  of 
their  feet  and  their  fiery  eyes  had  an  uncanny  effect.  It 
was  unpleasant  to  know  that  such  fierce  beasts  were  so 
near,  and  he  gave  himself  a  reassuring  glance  at  the 
sleeping  forms  of  his  partners.  By  and  by  the  red 
eyes  melted  away,  and  he  heard  another  soft  tread, 
but  heavier  than  that  of  the  wolves.  With  his  rifle 
lying  in  the  hollow  of  his  arm  and  his  finger  on  the 
trigger  he  looked  cautiously  about  the  circle  of  the 
forest. 

Ned's  gaze  at  last  met  that  of  a  pair  of  red  eyes, 
a  little  further  apart  than  those  of  the  wolves.  He  knew 
then  that  they  belonged  to  a  larger  animal,  and  presently 
he  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  figure.  He  was  sure  that  it 
was  a  puma  or  cougar,  and  so  far  as  he  could  judge  it 
was  a  big  brute.  It,  too,  must  be  very  hungry,  or  it 
would  not  dare  the  fire  and  the  human  odor. 

Ned  felt  tentatively  of  his  rifle,  but  changed  his  mind. 
He  remembered  the  Panther's  exploit  with  the  firebrand, 
and  he  decided  to  imitate  it,  but  on  a  much  larger  scale. 
He  laid  down  his  rifle,  but  kept  his  left  hand  on  the  butt 
of  the  pistol  in  his  belt.  Then  selecting  the  largest  torch 
from  the  fire  he  made  a  rush  straight  for  the  blazing  eyes, 
thrusting  the  flaming  stick  before  him.  There  was  a 
frightened  roar,  and  then  the  sound  of  a  heavy  body 
crashing  away  through  the  undergrowth.  Ned  returned, 
satisfied  that  he  had  done  as  well  as  the  Panther  and 
better. 

Both  the  Panther  and  Obed  were  awake  and  sitting 
up.  They  looked  curiously  at  Ned,  who  still  carried  the 
flaming  brand  in  his  hand. 

"A  noise  like  the  sound  of  thunder  away  off  wakened 


THE   CABIN    IN   THE   WOODS  69 

me  up,"  said  the  Panther.  "Now,  what  have  you  been 
up  to,  young  'un?" 

"Me?"  said  Ned  lightly.  "Oh,  nothing  important.  I 
wanted  to  make  some  investigations  in  natural  history 
out  there  in  the  bushes,  and  as  I  needed  a  light  for  the 
purpose  I  took  it." 

"An*  if  I'm  not  pressin'  too  much,"  said  the  Panther, 
in  mock  humility,  "may  I  make  so  bold  as  to  ask  our 
young  Solomon  what  is  natural  history?" 

"Natural  history  is  the  study  of  animals.  I  saw  a 
panther  in  the  bushes  and  I  went  out  there  to  examine 
him.  I  saw  that  he  was  a  big  fellow,  but  he  ran  away 
so  fast  I  could  tell  no  more  about  him." 

"You  scared  him  away  with  the  torch  instead  of 
shooting,"  said  Obed.  "It  was  well  done,  but  it  took  a 
stout  heart.  If  he  comes  again  tell  him  I  won't  wake  up 
until  it's  time  for  my  watch." 

He  was  asleep  again  inside  of  a  minute,  and  the  Pan- 
ther followed  him  quickly.  Both  men  trusted  Ned  fully, 
treating  him  now  as  an  experienced  and  skilled  frontiers- 
man. He  knew  it,  and  he  felt  proud  and  encouraged. 

The  panther  did  not  come  back,  but  the  wolves  did, 
although  Ned  now  paid  no  attention  to  them.  He  was 
growing  used  to  their  company  and  the  uncanny  feeling 
departed.  He  merely  replenished  the  fires  and  sat  pa- 
tiently until  it  was  time  for  Obed  to  succeed  him.  Then 
he,  too,  wrapped  himself  in  his  blankets  and  slept  a 
dreamless  sleep  until  day. 

The  remainder  of  the  buffalo  meat  was  taken  away  the 
next  day,  but  anticipating  a  long  stay  at  the  cabin  they 
continued  to  hunt,  both  on  horseback  and  on  foot.  Two 
more  buffalo  cows  fell  to  their  rifles.  They  also  secured 
a  deer,  three  antelope  and  a  dozen  wild  turkeys. 

Their  hunting  spread  over  two  days,  but  when  they 


To  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

were  all  assembled  on  the  third  night  at  the  cabin  general 
satisfaction  prevailed.  They  had  ranged  over  consider- 
able country,  and  as  game  was  plentiful  and  not  afraid 
the  Panther  drew  the  logical  conclusion  that  man  had 
been  scarce  in  that  region. 

"I  take  it,"  he  said,  "that  the  Mexicans  are  a  good 
distance  east,  and  that  the  Lipans  and  Comanches  are 
another  good  distance  west.  Just  the  same,  boys,  we've 
got  to  keep  a  close  watch,  an'  I  think  we've  got  more  to 
fear  from  raidin'  parties  of  the  Indians  than  from  the 
Mexicans.  All  the  Mexicans  are  likely  to  be  ridin'  to 
some  point  on  the  Rio  Grande  to  meet  the  forces  of  Santa 
Anna." 

"I  wish  we  had  more  horses,"  said  Obed.  "We'd  go 
that  way  ourselves  and  see  what's  up." 

"Well,  maybe  we'll  get  'em,"  said  the  Panther.  "Thar's 
a  lot  of  horses  on  these  plains,  some  of  which  ought  to 
belong  to  us  an'  we  may  find  a  way  of  claimin'  our 
rights." 

They  passed  a  number  of  pleasant  days  at  the  cabin 
and  in  hunting  and  foraging  in  the  vicinity.  They  killed 
more  big  game  and  the  dressed  skins  of  buffalo,  bear 
and  deer  were  spread  on  the  floor  or  were  hung  on  the 
walls.  Wild  turkeys  were  numerous,  and  they  had  them 
for  food  every  day.  But  they  discovered  no  signs  of 
man,  white  or  red,  and  they  would  have  been  content 
to  wait  there  had  they  not  been  so  anxious  to  inves- 
tigate the  reported  advance  of  Santa  Anna  on  the  Rio 
Grande. 

Roylston  was  the  most  patient  of  them  all,  or  at  least 
he  said  the  least. 

"I  think,"  he  said  about  the  fourth  or  fifth  day,  "that 
it  does  not  hurt  to  linger  here.  The  Mexican  power  has 
not  yet  gathered  in  full.  As  for  me,  personally,  it  suits 


THE   CABIN   IN   THE   WOODS  71 

me  admirably.  I  can  walk  a  full  two  hundred  yards  now, 
and  next  week  I  shall  be  able  to  walk  a  mile." 

"When  we  are  all  ready  to  depart,  which  way  do  you 
intend  to  go,  Mr.  Roylston?"  asked  Ned. 

"I  wish  to  go  around  the  settlements  and  then  to  New 
Orleans,"  replied  Roylston.  "That  city  is  my  headquar- 
ters, but  I  also  have  establishments  elsewhere,  even  as 
far  north  as  New  York.  Are  you  sure,  Ned,  that  you 
cannot  go  with  me  and  bring  your  friend  Allen,  too?  I 
could  make  men  of  you  both  in  a  vast  commercial  world. 
There  have  been  great  opportunities,  and  greater  are 
coming.  The  development  of  this  mighty  southwest  will 
call  for  large  and  bold  schemes  of  organization.  It  is 
not  money  alone  that  I  offer,  but  the  risk,  the  hopes  and 
rewards  of  a  great  game,  in  fact,  the  opening  of  a  new 
world  to  civilization,  for  such  this  southwest  is.  It 
appeals  to  some  deeper  feeling  than  that  which  can  be 
aroused  by  the  mere  making  of  money." 

Ned,  deeply  interested,  watched  him  intently  as  he 
spoke.  He  saw  Roylston  show  emotion  for  the  first  time, 
and  the  mind  of  the  boy  responded  to  that  of  the  man. 
He  could  understand  this  dream.  The  image  of  a  great 
Texan  republic  was  already  in  the  minds  of  men.  It 
possessed  that  of  Ned.  He  did  not  believe  that  the 
Texans  and  Mexicans  could  ever  get  along  together,  and 
he  was  quite  sure  that  Texas  could  never  return  to  its 
original  position  as  part  of  a  Mexican  state. 

"You  can  do  much  for  Texas  there  with  me  in  New 
Orleans,"  said  Roylston,  as  if  he  were  making  a  final 
appeal  to  one  whom  he  looked  upon  almost  as  a  son. 
"Perhaps  you  could  do  more  than  you  can  here  in  Texas." 

Ned  shook  his  head  a  little  sadly.  He  did  not  like  to 
disappoint  this  man,  but  he  could  not  leave  the  field. 
Young  Allen  also  said  that  he  would  remain. 


72  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"Be  it  so,"  said  Roylston.  "It  is  young  blood.  Never 
was  there  a  truer  saying  than  'Young  men  for  war,  old 
men  for  counsel.'  But  the  time  may  come  when  you  will 
need  me.  When  it  does  come  send  the  word." 

Ned  judged  from  Roylston's  manner  that  dark  days 
were  ahead,  but  the  merchant  did  not  mention  the  subject 
again.  At  the  end  of  a  week,  when  they  were  amply 
supplied  with  everything  except  horses,  the  Panther  de- 
cided to  take  Ned  and  Obed  and  go  on  a  scout  toward  the 
Rio  Grande.  They  started  early  in  the  morning  and  the 
horses,  which  had  obtained  plenty  of  grass,  were  full  of 
life  and  vigor. 

They  soon  left  the  narrow  belt  of  forest  far  behind 
them,  maintaining  an  almost  direct  course  toward  the 
southeast.  The  point  on  the  river  that  they  intended 
to  reach  was  seventy  or  eighty  miles  away,  and  they 
did  not  expect  to  cover  the  distance  in  less  than  two 
days. 

They  rode  all  that  day  and  did  not  see  a  trace  of  a 
human  being,  but  they  did  see  both  buffalo  and  antelope 
in  the  distance. 

"It  shows  what  the  war  has  done,"  said  the  Panther. 
"I  rode  over  these  same  prairies  about  a  year  ago  an' 
game  was  scarce,  but  there  were  some  men.  Now  the 
men  are  all  gone  an'  the  game  has  come  back.  Cur'us 
how  quick  buffalo  an'  deer  an'  antelope  learn  about  these 
things." 

They  slept  the  night  through  on  the  open  prairie,  keep- 
ing watch  by  turns.  The  weather  was  cold,  but  they  had 
their  good  blankets  with  them  and  they  took  no  dis- 
comfort. They  rode  forward  again  early  in  the  morning, 
and  about  noon  struck  an  old  but  broad  trail.  It  was 
evident  that  many  men  and  many  wagons  had  passed 
here.  There  were  deep  ruts  in  the  earth,  cut  by  wheels, 


THE   CABIN   IN   THE   WOODS  73 

and  the  traces  of  footsteps  showed  over  a  belt  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  wide. 

"Well,  Ned,  I  s'pose  you  can  make  a  purty  good  guess 
what  this  means?"  said  the  Panther. 

"This  was  made  weeks  and  weeks  ago,"  replied  Ned 
confidently,  "and  the  men  who  made  it  were  Mexicans. 
They  were  soldiers,  the  army  of  Cos,  that  we  took  at 
San  Antonio,  and  which  we  allowed  to  retire  on  parole 
into  Mexico." 

"There's  no  doubt  you're  right,"  said  the  Panther. 
"There's  no  other  force  in  this  part  of  the  world  big 
enough  to  make  such  a  wide  an'  lastin'  trail.  An'  I 
think  it's  our  business  to  follow  these  tracks.  What  do 
you  say,  Obed  ?" 

"It's  just  the  one  thing  in  the  world  that  we're  here 
to  do,"  said  the  Maine  man.  "Broad  is  the  path  and 
straight  is  the  way  that  leads  before  us,  and  we  follow 
on." 

"Do  we  follow  them  down  into  Mexico?"  said  Ned. 

"I  don't  think  it  likely  that  we'll  have  to  do  it,"  replied 
the  Panther,  glancing  at  Obed. 

Ned  caught  the  look  and  he  understood. 

"Do  you  mean,"  he  asked,  "that  Cos,  after  taking  his 
parole  and  pledging  his  word  that  he  and  his  troops 
would  not  fight  against  us,  would  stop  at  the  Rio 
Grande?" 

"I  mean  that  an'  nothin'  else,"  replied  the  Panther. 
"I  ain't  talkin'  ag'in  Mexicans  in  general.  I've  knowed 
some  good  men  among  them,  but  I  wouldn't  take  the 
word  of  any  of  that  crowd  of  generals,  Santa  Anna,  Cos, 
Sesma,  Urrea,  Gaona,  Castrillon,  the  Italian  Filisola,  or 
any  of  them." 

"There's  one  I'd  trust,"  said  Ned,  with  grateful  mem- 
ory, "and  that's  Almonte." 


74  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"I've  heard  that  he's  of  different  stuff,"  said  the  Pan- 
ther, "but  it's  best  to  keep  out  of  their  hands." 

They  were  now  riding  swiftly  almost  due  southward, 
having  changed  their  course  to  follow  the  trail,  and  they 
kept  a  sharp  watch  ahead  for  Mexican  scouts  or  skirmish- 
ers. But  the  bare  country  in  its  winter  brown  was  lone 
and  desolate.  The  trail  led  straight  ahead,  and  it  would 
have  been  obvious  now  to  the  most  inexperienced  eye 
that  an  army  had  passed  that  way.  They  saw  remains 
of  camp  fires,  now  and  then  the  skeleton  of  a  horse  or 
mule  picked  clean  by  buzzards,  fragments  of  worn-out 
clothing  that  had  been  thrown  aside,  and  once  a  broken- 
down  wagon.  Two  or  three  times  they  saw  little  mounds 
of  earth  with  rude  wooden  crosses  stuck  upon  them,  to 
mark  where  some  of  the  wounded  had  died  and  had  been 
buried. 

They  came  at  last  to  a  bit  of  woodland  growing  about 
a  spring  that  seemed  to  gush  straight  up  from  the  earth. 
It  was  really  an  open  grove  with  no  underbrush,  a  splen- 
did place  for  a  camp.  It  was  evident  that  Cos's  force 
had  put  it  to  full  use,  as  the  earth  nearly  everywhere  had 
been  trodden  by  hundreds  of  feet,  and  the  charred  pieces 
of  wood  were  innumerable.  The  Panther  made  a  long 
and  critical  examination  of  everything. 

"I'm  thinkin',"  he  said,  "that  Cos  stayed  here  three  or 
four  days.  All  the  signs  p'int  that  way.  He  was  bound 
by  the  terms  we  gave  him  at  San  Antonio  to  go  an'  not 
fight  ag'in,  but  he's  shorely  takin'  his  time  about  it.  Look 
at  these  bones,  will  you  ?  Now,  Ned,  you  promisin'  scout 
an'  skirmisher,  tell  me  what  they  are." 

"Buffalo  bones,"  replied  Ned  promptly. 

"Right  you  are,"  replied  the  Panther,  "an'  when 
Cos  left  San  Antonio  he  wasn't  taking  any  buffa- 
loes along  with  him  to  kill  fur  meat.  They  staid  here 


THE   CABIN   IN   THE   WOODS  75 

so  long  that  the  hunters  had  time  to  go  out  an'  shoot 
game." 

"A  long  lane's  the  thief  of  time,"  said  Obed,  "and 
having  a  big  march  before  him,  Cos  has  concluded  to 
walk  instead  of  run." 

"  'Cause  he  was  expectin'  somethin'  that  would  stop 
him,"  said  the  Panther  angrily.  "I  hate  liars  an'  traitors. 
Well,  we'll  soon  see." 

Their  curiosity  became  so  great  that  they  rode  at  a 
swift  trot  on  the  great  south  trail,  and  not  ten  miles 
further  they  came  upon  the  unmistakable  evidences  of 
another  big  camp  that  had  lasted  long. 

"Slower  an'  slower,"  muttered  the  Panther.  "They 
must  have  met  a  messenger.  Wa'al,  it's  fur  us  to  go 
slow  now,  too." 

But  he  said  aloud : 

"Boys,  it  ain't  more'n  twenty  miles  now  to  the  Rio 
Grande,  an'  we  can  hit  it  by  dark.  But  I'm  thinkin'  that 
we'd  better  be  mighty  keerful  now  as  we  go  on." 

"I  suppose  it's  because  Mexican  scouts  and  skirmishers 
may  be  watching,"  said  Ned. 

"Yes,  an'  'specially  that  fellow  Urrea.  His  uncle  bein' 
one  of  Santa  Anna's  leadin'  gen'rals,  he's  likely  to  have 
freer  rein,  an',  as  we  know,  he's  clever  an*  active.  I'd 
hate  to  fall  into  his  hands  again." 

They  rode  more  slowly,  and  three  pairs  of  eyes  con- 
tinually searched  the  plain  for  an  enemy.  Ned's  sight 
was  uncommonly  acute,  and  Obed  and  the  Panther  fre- 
quently appealed  to  him  as  a  last  resort.  It  flattered  his 
pride  and  he  strove  to  justify  it. 

Their  pace  became  slower  and  slower,  and  presently 
the  early  twilight  of  winter  was  coming.  A  cold  wind 
moaned,  but  the  desolate  plain  was  broken  here  and 
there  by  clumps  of  trees.  At  the  suggestion  of  the  Pan- 


76  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

ther  they  rode  to  one  of  these  and  halted  under  cover 
of  the  timber. 

"The  river  can't  be  much  more  than  a  mile  ahead," 
said  the  Panther,  "an'  we  might  run  into  the  Mexicans 
any  minute.  We're  sheltered  here,  an'  we'd  better  wait 
a  while.  Then  I  think  we  can  do  more  stalkin'." 

Obed  and  Ned  were  not  at  all  averse,  and  dismounting 
they  stretched  themselves,  easing  their  muscles.  Old  Jack 
hunted  grass  and,  finding  none,  rubbed  Ned's  elbow  with 
his  nose  suggestively. 

"Never  mind,  old  boy,"  said  Ned,  patting  the  glossy 
muzzle  of  his  faithful  comrade.  "This  is  no  time  for 
feasting  and  banqueting.  We  are  hunting  Mexicans, 
you  and  I,  and  after  that  business  is  over  we  may  con- 
sider our  pleasures." 

They  remained  several  hours  among  the  trees.  They 
saw  the  last  red  glow  that  the  sun  leaves  in  the  west  die 
away.  They  saw  the  full  darkness  descend  over  the 
earth,  and  then  the  stars  come  trooping  out.  After  that 
they  saw  a  scarlet  flush  under  the  horizon  which  was  not 
a  part  of  the  night  and  its  progress.  The  Panther  noted 
it,  and  his  great  face  darkened.  He  turned  to  Ned. 

"You  see  it,  don't  you  ?    Now  tell  me  what  it  is." 

"That  light,  I  should  say,  comes  from  the  fires  of  an 
army.  And  it  can  be  no  other  army  than  that  of  Cos." 

"Right  again,  ain't  he,  Obed?" 

"He  surely  is.  Cos  and  his  men  are  there.  He  who 
breaks  his  faith  when  he  steals  away  will  have  to  fight 
another  day.  How  far  off  would  you  say  that  light  is, 
Panther?" 

"  'Bout  two  miles,  an'  in  an  hour  or  so  we'll  ride  fur 
it.  The  night  will  darken  up  more  then,  an'  it  will  give 
us  a  better  chance  for  lookin'  an  listenin'.  I'll  be  mightily 
fooled  if  we  don't  find  out  a  lot  that's  worth  knowin'." 


THE   CABIN   IN   THE   WOODS  77 

True  to  Obed's  prediction,  the  night  deepened  some- 
what within  the  hour.  Many  of  the  stars  were  hidden 
by  floating  wisps  of  cloud,  and  objects  could  not  be  seen 
far  on  the  dusky  surface  of  the  plain.  But  the  increased 
darkness  only  made  the  scarlet  glow  in  the  south  deepen. 
It  seemed,  too,  to  spread  far  to  right  and  left. 

"That's  a  big  force,"  said  the  Panther.  "It'll  take  a 
lot  of  fires  to  make  a  blaze  like  that." 

"I'm  agreeing  with  you,"  said  Obed.  "I'm  thinking 
that  those  are  the  camp  fires  of  more  men  than  Cos  took 
from  San  Antonio  with  him." 

"Which  would  mean,"  said  Ned,  "that  another  Mexican 
army  had  come  north  to  join  him." 

"Anyhow,  we'll  soon  see,"  said  the  Panther. 

They  mounted  their  horses  and  rode  cautiously  toward 
the  light. 


CHAPTER  V 

SANTA  ANNA'S   ADVANCE 

THE  three  rode  abreast,  Ned  in  the  center.  The 
boy  was  on  terms  of  perfect  equality  with  Obed 
and  the  Panther.  They  treated  him  as  a  man 
among  men,  and  respected  his  character,  rather  grave  for 
one  so  young,  and  always  keen  to  learn. 

The  land  rolled  away  in  swells  as  usual  throughout  a 
great  part  of  Texas,  but  they  were  not  of  much  elevation 
and  the  red  glow  in  the  south  was  always  in  sight,  deep- 
ening fast  as  they  advanced.  They  stopped  at  last  on  a 
little  elevation  within  the  shadow  of  some  myrtle  oaks, 
and  saw  the  fires  spread  before  them  only  four  or  five 
hundred  yards  away,  and  along  a  line  of  at  least  two 
miles.  They  heard  the  confused  murmur  of  many  men. 
The  dark  outlines  of  cannon  were  seen  against  the  fire- 
light, and  now  and  then  the  musical  note  of  a  mandolin 
or  guitar  came  to  them. 

"We  was  right  in  our  guess,"  said  the  Panther.  "It's 
a  lot  bigger  force  than  the  one  that  Cos  led  away  from 
San  Antonio,  an'  it  will  take  a  heap  of  rippin'  an'  t'arin' 
an'  roarin'  to  turn  it  back.  Our  people  don't  know  how 
much  is  comin'  ag'in  'em." 

The  Panther  spoke  in  a  solemn  tone.  Ned  saw  that 
he  was  deeply  impressed  and  that  he  feared  for  the 
future.  Good  cause  had  he.  Squabbles  among  the  Texan 
leaders  had  reduced  their  army  to  five  or  six  hundred 
men. 

78 


SANTA  ANNA'S   ADVANCE  79 

"Don't  you  think,"  said  Ned,  "that  we  ought  to  find 
out  just  exactly  what  is  here,  and  what  this  army  in- 
tends ?" 

"Not  a  doubt  of  it,"  said  Obed.  "Those  who  have  eyes 
to  see  should  not  go  away  without  seeing." 

The  Panther  nodded  violently  in  assent. 

"We  must  scout  about  the  camp,"  he  said.  "Mebbe 
we'd  better  divide  an'  then  we  can  all  gather  before  day- 
break at  the  clump  of  trees  back  there." 

He  pointed  to  a  little  cluster  of  trees  several  hundred 
yards  back  of  them,  and  Ned  and  Obed  agreed.  The 
Panther  turned  away  to  the  right,  Obed  to  the  left  and 
Ned  took  the  center.  Their  plan  of  dividing  their  force 
had  a  great  advantage.  One  man  was  much  less  likely 
than  three  to  attract  undue  attention. 

Ned  went  straight  ahead  a  hundred  yards  or  more, 
when  he  was  stopped  by  an  arroyo  five  or  six  feet  wide 
and  with  very  deep  banks.  He  looked  about,  uncertain 
at  first  what  to  do.  Obed  and  the  Panther  had  already 
disappeared  in  the  dusk.  Before  him  glowed  the  red 
light,  and  he  heard  the  distant  sound  of  many  voices. 

Ned  quickly  decided.  He  remembered  how  they  had 
escaped  up  the  bed  of  the  creek  when  they  were  besieged 
by  Urrea,  and  if  one  could  leave  by  an  arroyo,  one  could 
also  approach  by  it.  He  rode  to  the  group  of  trees  that 
had  been  designated  as  the  place  of  meeting,  and  left  his 
horse  there.  He  noticed  considerable  grass  within  the 
ring  of  trunks,  and  he  was  quite  confident  that  Old  Jack 
would  remain  there  until  his  return.  But  he  addressed 
to  him  words  of  admonition : 

"Be  sure  that  you  stay  among  these  trees,  old  friend," 
he  said,  "because  it's  likely  that  when  I  want  you  I'll 
want  you  bad.  Remain  and  attend  to  this  grass." 

Old  Jack  whinnied  softly  and,  after  his  fashion,  rubbed 


80  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

his  nose  gently  against  his  master's  arm.  It  was  suffi- 
cient for  Ned.  He  was  sure  that  the  horse  understood, 
and  leaving  him  he  went  back  to  the  arroyo,  which  he 
entered  without  hesitation. 

Ned  was  well  armed,  as  every  one  then  had  full  need 
to  be.  He  wore  a  sombrero  in  the  Mexican  fashion,  and 
flung  over  his  shoulders  was  a  great  scrape  which  he 
had  found  most  useful  in  the  winter.  With  his  perfect 
knowledge  of  Spanish  and  its  Mexican  variants  he  be- 
lieved that  if  surprised  he  could  pass  as  a  Mexican,  par- 
ticularly in  the  night  and  among  so  many. 

The  arroyo  led  straight  down  toward  the  plain  upon 
which  the  Mexicans  were  encamped,  and  when  he 
emerged  from  it  he  saw  that  the  fires  which  at  a  dis- 
tance looked  like  one  continuous  blaze  were  scores  in 
number.  Many  of  them  were  built  of  buffalo  chips  and 
others  of  light  wood  that  burned  fast.  Sentinels  were 
posted  here  and  there,  but  they  kept  little  watch.  Why 
should  they  ?  Here  was  a  great  Mexican  army,  and  there 
was  certainly  no  foe  amounting  to  more  than  a  few  men 
within  a  hundred  miles. 

Ned's  heart  sank  as  he  beheld  the  evident  extent  of 
the  Mexican  array.  The  little  Texan  force  left  in  the 
field  could  be  no  match  for  such  an  army  as  this. 

Nevertheless,  his  resolution  to  go  through  the  Mexican 
camp  hardened.  If  he  came  back  with  a  true  and  detailed 
tale  of  their  numbers  the  Texans  must  believe  and  pre- 
pare. He  drew  the  brim  of  his  sombrero  down  a  little 
further,  and  pulled  his  scrape  up  to  meet  it.  The  habit 
the  Mexicans  had  of  wrapping  their  scrapes  so  high  that 
they  were  covered  to  the  nose  was  fortunate  at  this  time. 
He  was  now  completely  disguised,  without  the  appear- 
ance of  having  taken  any  unusual  precaution. 

He  walked  forward  boldly  and  sat  down  with  a  group 


SANTA   ANNA'S   ADVANCE  81 

beside  a  fire.  He  judged  by  the  fact  that  they  were 
awake  so  late  that  they  had  but  little  to  do,  and  he  saw 
at  once  also  that  they  were  Mexicans  from  the  far  south. 
They  were  small,  dark  men,  rather  amiable  in  appear- 
ance. Two  began  to  play  guitars  and  they  sang  a  plain- 
tive song  to  the  music.  The  others,  smoking  cigarritos, 
listened  attentively  and  luxuriously.  Ned  imitated  them 
perfectly.  He,  too,  lying  upon  his  elbow  before  the 
pleasant  fire,  felt  the  influence  of  the  music,  so  sweet,  so 
murmurous,  speaking  so  little  of  war.  One  of  the  men 
handed  him  a  cigarrito,  and,  lighting  it,  he  made  pre- 
tense of  smoking — he  would  not  have  seemed  a  Mexican 
had  he  not  smoked  the  cigarrito. 

Lying  there,  Ned  saw  many  tents,  evidence  of  a  camp 
that  was  not  for  the  day  only,  and  he  beheld  officers  in 
bright  uniforms  passing  among  them.  His  heart  gave  a 
great  jump  when  he  noticed  among  them  a  heavy-set, 
dark  man.  It  was  Cos,  Cos  the  breaker  of  oaths.  With 
him  was  another  officer  whose  uniform  indicated  the  gen- 
eral. Ned  learned  later  that  this  was  Sesma.  who  had 
been  dispatched  with  a  brigade  by  Santa  Anna  to  meet 
Cos  on  the  Rio  Grande,  where  they  were  to  remain  until 
the  dictator  himself  came  with  more  troops. 

The  music  ceased  presently  and  one  of  the  men  said 
to  Ned : 

"What  company?" 

Ned  had  prepared  himself  for  such  questions,  and  he 
moved  his  hand  vaguely  toward  the  left. 
Over  there,"  he  said. 

They  were  fully  satisfied,  and  continued  to  puff  their 
cigarritos,  resting  their  heads  with  great  content  upon 
pillows  made  of  their  saddles  and  blankets.  For  a  while 
they  said  nothing  more,  happily  watching  the  rings  of 
smoke  from  their  cigarritos  rise  and  melt  into  the  air. 


82  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

Although  small  and  short,  they  looked  hardy  and  strong. 
Ned  noticed  the  signs  of  bustle  and  expectancy  about 
the  camp.  Usually  Mexicans  were  asleep  at  this  hour, 
and  he  wondered  why  they  lingered.  But  he  did  not 
approach  the  subject  directly. 

"A  hard  march,"  he  said,  knowing  that  these  men 
about  him  had  come  a  vast  distance. 

"Aye,  it  was,"  said  the  man  next  on  his  right.  "Santi- 
ago, but  was  it  not,  Jose?" 

Jose,  the  second  man  on  the  right,  replied  in  the  af- 
firmative and  with  emphasis : 

"You  speak  the  great  truth,  Carlos.  Such  another 
march  I  never  wish  to  make.  Think  of  the  hundreds 
and  hundreds  of  miles  we  have  tramped  from  our  warm 
lands  far  in  the  south  across  mountains,  across  bare  and 
windy  deserts,  with  the  ice  and  the  snow  beating  in  our 
faces.  How  I  shivered,  Carlos,  and  how  long  I  shiv- 
ered! I  thought  I  should  continue  shivering  all  my  life 
even  if  I  lived  to  be  a  hundred,  no  matter  how  warmly 
the  sun  might  shine." 

The  others  laughed,  and  seemed  to  Ned  to  snuggle  a 
little  closer  to  the  fire,  driven  by  the  memory  of  the  icy 
plains. 

"But  it  was  the  will  of  the  great  Santa  Anna,  surely  the 
mightiest  man  of  our  age,"  said  Carlos.  "They  say  that 
his  wrath  was  terrible  when  he  heard  how  the  Texan 
bandits  had  taken  San  Antonio  de  Bexar.  Truly,  I  am 
glad  that  I  was  not  one  of  his  officers,  and  that  I  was  not 
in  his  presence  at  the  time.  After  all,  it  is  sometimes  bet- 
ter to  be  a  common  soldier  than  to  have  command." 

"Aye,  truly,"  said  Ned,  and  the  others  nodded  in  af- 
firmation. 

"But  the  great  Santa  Anna  will  finish  it,"  continued 
Carlos,  who  seemed  to  have  the  sin  of  garrulity.  "He 


SANTA   ANNA'S   ADVANCE  83 

has  defeated  all  his  enemies  in  Mexico,  he  has  consoli- 
dated his  power  and  now  he  advances  with  a  mighty 
force  to  crush  these  insolent  and  miserable  Texans.  As 
I  have  said,  he  will  finish  it.  The  rope  and  the  bullet  will 
be  busy.  In  six  months  there  will  be  no  Texans." 

Ned  shivered,  and  when  he  looked  at  the  camp  fires  of 
the  great  army  he  saw  that  this  peon  was  not  talking 
foolishness.  Nevertheless  his  mind  returned  to  its  origi- 
nal point  of  interest.  Why  did  the  Mexican  army  remain 
awake  so  late? 

"Have  you  seen  the  President?"  he  asked  of  Carlos. 

"Often,"  replied  Carlos,  with  pride.  "I  fought  under 
him  in  the  great  battle  on  the  plain  of  Guadalupe  less 
than  two  years  ago,  when  we  defeated  Don  Francisco 
Garcia,  the  governor  of  Zacatecas.  Ah,  it  was  a  terrible 
battle,  my  friends !  Thousands  and  thousands  were  killed 
and  all  Mexicans.  Mexicans  killing  Mexicans.  But 
who  can  prevail  against  the  great  Santa  Anna?  He 
routed  the  forces  of  Garcia,  and  the  City  of  Zacatecas 
was  given  up  to  us  to  pillage.  Many  fine  things  I  took 
that  day  from  the  houses  of  those  who  presumed  to  help 
the  enemy  of  our  leader.  But  now  we  care  not  to  kill 
Mexicans,  our  own  people.  It  is  only  the  miserable 
Texans  who  are  really  Gringos." 

Carlos,  who  had  been  the  most  amiable  of  men,  bask- 
ing in  the  firelight,  now  rose  up  a  little  and  his  eyes 
flashed.  He  had  excited  himself  by  his  own  tale  of  the 
battle  and  loot  of  Zacatecas  and  the  coming  slaughter  of 
the  Texans.  That  strain  of  cruelty,  which  in  Ned's  opin- 
ion always  lay  embedded  in  the  Spanish  character,  was 
coming  to  the  surface. 

Ned  made  no  comment.  His  scrape,  drawn  up  to  his 
nose,  almost  met  the  brim  of  his  sombrero  and  nobody 
suspected  that  the  comrade  who  sat  and  chatted  with 


84  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

them  was  a  Gringo,  but  he  shivered  again,  nevertheless. 

"We  shall  have  a  great  force  when  it  is  all  gathered," 
he  said  at  length. 

"Seven  thousand  men  or  more,"  said  Jose  proudly, 
"and  nearly  all  of  them  are  veterans  of  the  wars.  We 
shall  have  ten  times  the  numbers  of  the  Texans,  who  are 
only  hunters  and  rancheros." 

"Have  you  heard  when  we  march?"  asked  Ned,  in  a 
careless  tone. 

"As  soon  as  the  great  Santa  Anna  arrives  it  will  be 
decided,  I  doubt  not,"  said  Jose.  "The  general  and  his 
escort  should  be  here  by  midnight." 

Ned's  heart  gave  a  leap.  So  it  was  that  for  which 
they  were  waiting.  Santa  Anna  himself  would  come  in 
an  hour  or  two.  He  was  very  glad  that  he  had  entered 
the  Mexican  camp.  Bidding  a  courteous  good  night  to 
the  men  about  the  fire,  he  rose  and  sauntered  on.  It  was 
easy  enough  for  him  to  do  so  without  attracting  atten- 
tion, as  many  others  were  doing  the  same  thing.  Disci- 
pline seldom  amounted  to  much  in  a  Mexican  army,  and  so 
confident  were  both  officers  and  soldiers  of  an  overwhelm- 
ing victory  that  they  preserved  scarcely  any  at  all.  Yet 
the  expectant  feeling  pervaded  the  whole  camp,  and  now 
that  he  knew  that  Santa  Anna  was  coming  he  understood. 

Santa  Anna  was  the  greatest  man  in  the  world  to  these 
soldiers.  He  had  triumphed  over  everything  in  their  own 
country.  He  had  exhibited  qualities  of  daring  and  energy 
that  seemed  to  them  supreme,  and  his  impression  upon 
them  was  overwhelming.  Ned  felt  once  more  that  little 
shiver.  They  might  be  right  in  their  view  of  the  Texan 
war. 

He  strolled  on  from  fire  to  fire,  until  his  attention  was 
arrested  suddenly  by  one  at  which  only  officers  sat.  It 
was  not  so  much  the  group  as  it  was  one  among  them 


SANTA   ANNA'S   ADVANCE  85 

who  drew  his  notice  so  strongly.  Urrea  was  sitting  on 
the  far  side  of  the  fire,  every  feature  thrown  into  clear 
relief  by  the  bright  flames.  The  other  officers  were  young 
men  of  about  his  own  age  and  they  were  playing  dice. 
They  were  evidently  in  high  good  humor,  as  they  laughed 
frequently. 

Ned  lay  down  just  within  the  shadow  of  a  tent  wall, 
drew  his  scrape  higher  about  his  face,  and  rested  his 
head  upon  his  arm.  He  would  have  seemed  sound  asleep 
to  an  ordinary  observer,  but  he  was  never  more  wide 
awake  in  his  life.  He  was  near  enough  to  hear  what 
Urrea  and  his  friends  were  saying,  and  he  intended  to 
hear  it.  It  was  for  such  that  he  had  come. 

"You  lose,  Francisco,"  said  one  of  the  men  as  he  made 
a  throw  of  the  dice  and  looked  eagerly  at  the  result. 
"What  was  it  that  you  were  saying  about  the  general?" 

"That  I  expect  an  early  advance,  Ramon,"  replied 
Urrea,  "  a  brief  campaign,  and  a  complete  victory.  I 
hate  these  Texans.  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  them  anni- 
hilated." 

The  young  officer  whom  he  called  Ramon  laughed. 

"If  what  I  hear  be  true,  Francisco,"  he  said,  "you  have 
cause  to  hate  them.  There  was  a  boy,  Fulton,  that  wild 
buffalo  of  a  man,  whom  they  call  the  Panther,  and  an- 
other who  defeated  some  of  your  finest  plans." 

Urrea  flushed,  but  controlled  his  temper. 

"It  is  true,  Ramon,"  he  replied.  "The  third  man  I  can 
tell  you  is  called  Obed  White,  and  they  are  a  clever  three. 
I  hate  them,  but  it  hurts  my  pride  less  to  be  defeated  by 
them  than  by  any  others  whom  I  know." 

"Well  spoken,  Urrea,"  said  a  third  man,  "but  since 
these  three  are  fighters  and  will  stay  to  meet  us,  it  is  a 
certainty  that  our  general  will  scoop  them  into  his  net. 
Then  you  can  have  all  the  revenge  you  wish." 


86  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"I  count  upon  it,  Ambrosio,"  said  Urrea,  smiling.  "I 
also  hope  that  we  shall  recapture  the  man  Roylston.  He 
has  great  sums  of  money  in  the  foreign  banks  in  our 
country,  and  we  need  them,  but  our  illustrious  president 
cannot  get  them  without  an  order  from  Roylston.  The 
general  would  rather  have  Roylston  than  a  thousand 
Texan  prisoners." 

All  of  them  laughed,  and  the  laugh  made  Ned,  lying 
in  the  shadow,  shiver  once  more.  Urrea  glanced  his  way 
presently,  but  the  recumbent  figure  did  not  claim  his 
notice.  The  attention  of  his  comrades  and  himself  be- 
came absorbed  in  the  dice  again.  They  were  throwing 
the  little  ivory  cubes  upon  a  blanket,  and  Ned  could  hear 
them  click  as  they  struck  together.  The  sharp  little  sound 
began  to  flick  his  nerves.  Not  one  to  cherish  resentment, 
he  nevertheless  began  to  hate  Urrea,  and  he  included  in 
that  hatred  the  young  men  with  him.  The  Texans  were 
so  few  and  poor.  The  Mexicans  were  so  many,  and  they 
had  the  resources  of  a  nation  more  than  two  centuries 
old. 

Ned  rose  by  and  by  and  walked  on.  He  could  imitate 
the  Mexican  gait  perfectly,  and  no  one  paid  any  attention 
to  him.  They  were  absorbed,  moreover,  in  something 
else,  because  now  the  light  of  torches  could  be  seen  dimly 
in  the  south.  Officers  threw  down  cards  and  dice.  Men 
straightened  their  uniforms  and  Cos  and  Sesma  began  to 
form  companies  in  line.  More  fuel  was  thrown  on  the 
fires,  which  sprang  up,  suffusing  all  the  night  with  color 
and  brightness.  Ned  with  his  rifle  at  salute  fell  into  place 
at  the  end  of  one  of  the  companies,  and  no  one  knew  that 
he  did  not  belong  there.  In  the  excitement  of  the  mo- 
ment he  forgot  all  about  the  Panther  and  Obed. 

A  thrill  seemed  to  run  through  the  whole  Mexican 
force.  It  was  the  most  impressive  scene  that  Ned  had 


SANTA   ANNA'S   ADVANCE  87 

ever  beheld.  A  leader,  omnipotent  in  their  eyes,  was 
coming  to  these  men,  and  he  came  at  midnight  out  of  the 
dark  into  the  light. 

The  torches  grew  brighter.  A  trumpet  pealed  and  a 
trumpet  in  the  camp  replied.  The  Mexican  lines  became 
silent  save  for  a  deep  murmur.  In  the  south  they  heard 
the  rapid  beat  of  hoofs,  and  then  Santa  Anna  came,  gal- 
loping at  the  head  of  fifty  horsemen.  Many  of  the 
younger  officers  ran  forward,  holding  up  torches,  and 
the  dictator  rode  in  a  blaze  of  light. 

Ned  looked  once  more  upon  that  dark  and  singular 
face,  a  face  daring  and  cruel,  that  might  have  belonged 
to  one  of  the  old  conquistadores.  In  the  saddle  his  lack 
of  height  was  concealed,  but  on  the  great  white  horse 
that  he  rode  Ned  felt  that  he  was  an  imposing,  even  a 
terrible,  figure.  His  eyes  were  blazing  with  triumph  as 
his  army  united  with  torches  to  do  him  honor.  It  was 
like  Napoleon  on  the  night  before  Austerlitz,  and  what 
was  he  but  the  Napoleon  of  the  New  World  ?  His  figure 
swelled  and  the  gold  braid  on  his  cocked  hat  and  gorgeous 
uniform  reflected  the  beams  of  the  firelight. 

A  mighty  cheer  from  thousands  of  throats  ran  along 
the  Mexican  line,  and  the  torches  were  waved  until  they 
looked  like  vast  circles  of  fire.  Santa  Anna  lifted  his 
hat  and  bowed  three  times  in  salute.  Again  the  Mexi- 
can cheer  rolled  to  right  and  to  left.  Santa  Anna,  still 
sitting  on  his  horse,  spread  out  his  hands.  There 
was  instant  silence  save  for  the  deep  breathing  of  the 
men. 

"My  children,"  he  said,  "I  have  come  to  sweep  away 
these  miserable  Texans  who  have  dared  to  raise  the  rebel 
flag  against  us.  We  will  punish  them  all.  Houston, 
Austin,  Bowie  and  the  rest  of  their  leaders  shall  feel  our 
justice.  When  we  finish  our  march  over  their  prairies  it 


88  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

shall  be  as  if  a  great  fire  had  passed.  I  have  said  it. 
I  am  Santa  Anna." 

The  thunderous  cheer  broke  forth  again.  Ned  had 
never  before  heard  words  so  full  of  conceit  and  vain- 
glory, yet  the  strength  and  menace  were  there.  He  felt 
it  instinctively.  Santa  Anna  believed  himself  to  be  the 
greatest  man  in  the  world,  and  he  was  certainly  the  great- 
est in  Mexico.  His  belief  in  himself  was  based  upon  a 
deep  well  of  energy  and  daring.  Once  more  Ned  felt  a 
great  and  terrible  fear  for  Texas,  and  the  thin  line  of 
skin-clad  hunters  and  ranchmen  who  were  its  sole  de- 
fence. But  the  feeling  passed  as  he  watched  Santa  Anna. 
A  young  officer  rushed  forward  and  held  his  stirrup  as 
the  dictator  dismounted.  Then  the  generals,  including 
those  who  had  come  with  him,  crowded  around  him.  It 
was  a  brilliant  company,  including  Sesma,  Cos,  Duque, 
Castrillon,  Tolsa,  Gaona  and  others,  among  whom  Ned 
noted  a  man  of  decidedly  Italian  appearance.  This  was 
General  Vincente  Filisola,  an  Italian  officer  who  had  re- 
ceived a  huge  grant  of  land  in  Texas,  and  who  was  now 
second  in  command  to  Santa  Anna. 

Ned  watched  them  as  they  talked  together  and  oc- 
casionally the  crowd  parted  enough  for  him  to  see  Santa 
Anna,  who  spoke  and  gesticulated  with  great  energy. 
The  soldiers  had  been  drawn  away  by  the  minor  officers, 
and  were  now  dispersing  to  their  places  by  the  fires  where 
they  would  seek  sleep. 

Ned  noticed  a  trim,  slender  figure  on  the  outer  edge 
of  the  group  around  Santa  Anna.  It  seemed  familiar, 
and  when  the  man  turned  he  recognized  the  face  of  Al- 
monte, the  gallant  young  Mexican  colonel  who  had  been 
kind  to  him.  He  was  sorry  to  see  him  there.  He  was 
sorry  that  he  should  have  to  fight  against  him. 

Santa  Anna  went  presently  to  a  great  marquee  that 


SANTA  ANNA'S   ADVANCE  89 

had  been  prepared  for  him,  and  the  other  generals  retired 
also  to  the  tents  that  had  been  set  about  it.  The  dictator 
was  tired  from  his  long  ride  and  must  not  be  disturbed. 
Strict  orders  were  given  that  there  should  be  no  noise  in 
the  camp,  and  it  quickly  sank  into  silence. 

Ned  lay  down  before  one  of  the  fires  at  the  western  end 
of  the  camp  wrapped  as  before  in  his  scrape.  He  counter- 
feited sleep,  but  nothing  was  further  from  his  mind.  It 
seemed  to  him  that  he  had  done  all  he  could  do  in  the 
Mexican  camp.  He  had  seen  the  arrival  of  Santa  Anna, 
but  there  was  no  way  to  learn  when  the  general  would 
order  an  advance.  But  he  could  infer  from  Santa  Anna's 
well-known  energy  and  ability  that  it  would  come  quickly. 

Between  the  slit  left  by  the  brim  of  his  sombrero  and 
his  scrape  he  watched  the  great  fires  die  slowly.  Most 
of  the  Mexicans  were  asleep  now,  and  their  figures  were 
growing  indistinct  in  the  shadows.  But  Ned,  rising, 
slouched  forward,  imitating  the  gait  of  the  laziest  of  the 
Mexicans.  Yet  his  eyes  were  always  watching  shrewdly 
through  the  slit.  Very  little  escaped  his  notice.  He  went 
along  the  entire  Mexican  line  and  then  back  again.  He 
had  a  good  mathematical  mind,  and  he  saw  that  the 
estimate  of  7,000  for  the  Mexican  army  was  not  too  few. 
He  also  saw  many  cannon  and  the  horses  for  a  great 
cavalry  force.  He  knew,  too,  that  Santa  Anna  had  with 
him  the  best  regiments  in  the  Mexican  service. 

On  his  last  trip  along  the  line  Ned  began  to  look  for 
the  Panther  and  Obed,  but  he  saw  no  figures  resem- 
bling theirs,  although  he  was  quite  sure  that  he  would 
know  the  Panther  in  any  disguise  owing  to  his  great 
size.  This  circumstance  would  make  it  more  dangerous 
for  the  Panther  than  for  either  Obed  or  himself,  as 
Urrea,  if  he  should  see  so  large  a  man,  would  suspect 
that  it  was  none  other  than  the  redoubtable  frontiersman. 


90  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

Ned  was  thinking  of  this  danger  to  the  Panther  when 
he  came  face  to  face  with  Urrea  himself.  The  young 
Mexican  captain  was  not  lacking  in  vigilance  and  energy, 
and  even  at  that  late  hour  he  was  seeing  that  all  was  well 
in  the  camp  of  Santa  Anna.  Ned  was  truly  thankful  now 
that  Mexican  custom  and  the  coldness  of  the  night  per- 
mitted him  to  cover  his  face  with  his  scrape  and  the  brim 
of  his  sombrero. 

"Why  are  you  walking  here?"  demanded  Urrea. 

"I've  just  taken  a  message  to  General  Castrillon,"  re- 
plied Ned. 

He  had  learned  already  that  Castrillon  commanded  the 
artillery,  and  as  he  was  at  least  a  mile  away  he  thought 
this  the  safest  reply. 

"From  whom?"  asked  Urrea  shortly. 

"Pardon,  sir,"  replied  Ned,  in  his  best  Spanish,  dis- 
guising his  voice  as  much  as  possible,  "but  I  am  not  al- 
lowed to  tell." 

Ned's  tone  was  courteous  and  apologetic,  and  in 
ninety-nine  cases  out  of  a  hundred  Urrea  would  have 
contented  himself  with  an  impatient  word  or  two. 
But  he  was  in  a  most  vicious  temper.  Perhaps  he  had 
been  rebuked  by  Santa  Anna  for  allowing  the  rescue  of 
Roylston. 

"Why  don't  you  speak  up?"  he  exclaimed.  "Why  do 
you  mumble  your  words,  and  why  do  you  stand  in  such 
a  slouching  manner.  Remember  that  a  soldier  should 
stand  up  straight." 

"Yes,  my  captain,"  said  Ned,  but  he  did  not  change 
his  attitude.  The  tone  and  manner  of  Urrea  angered 
him.  He  forgot  where  he  was  and  his  danger. 

Urrea's  swarthy  face  flushed.  He  carried  in  his  hand 
a  small  riding  whip,  which  he  switched  occasionally 
across  the  tops  of  his  tall,  military  boots. 


SANTA   ANNA'S   ADVANCE  91 

"Lout!"  he  cried.  "You  hear  me!  Why  do  you  not 
obey!" 

Ned  stood  impassive.  Certainly  Urrea  had  had  a  bad 
half  hour  somewhere.  His  temper  leaped  beyond  control. 

"Idiot!"  he  exclaimed. 

Then  he  suddenly  lashed  Ned  across  the  face  with  the 
little  riding  whip.  The  blow  fell  on  scrape  and  sombrero 
and  the  flesh  was  not  touched,  but  for  a  few  moments 
Ned  went  mad.  He  dropped  his  rifle,  leaped  upon  the 
astonished  officer,  wrenched  the  whip  from  his  hands, 
slashed  him  across  the  cheeks  with  it  until  the  blood  ran 
in  streams,  then  broke  it  in  two  and  threw  the  pieces  in 
his  face.  Ned's  scrape  fell  away.  Urrea  had  clasped 
his  hands  to  his  cheeks  that  stung  like  fire,  but  now  he 
recognized  the  boy. 

"Fulton !"  he  cried. 

The  sharp  exclamation  brought  Ned  to  a  realization 
of  his  danger.  He  seized  his  rifle,  pulled  up  the  scrape 
and  sprang  back.  Already  Mexican  soldiers  were  gath- 
ering. It  was  truly  fortunate  for  Ned  that  he  was  quick 
of  thought,  and  that  his  thoughts  came  quickest  when  the 
danger  was  greatest.  He  knew  that  the  cry  of  "Fulton !" 
was  unintelligible  to  them,  and  he  exclaimed : 

"Save  me,  comrades!  He  tried  to  beat  me  without 
cause,  and  now  he  would  kill  me,  as  you  see !" 

Urrea  had  drawn  a  pistol  and  was  shouting  fiery  Mexi- 
can oaths.  The  soldiers,  some  of  them  just  awakened 
from  sleep,  and  all  of  them  dazed,  had  gathered  in  a 
huddle,  but  they  opened  to  let  Ned  pass.  Excessive  and 
cruel  punishment  was  common  among  them.  A  man 
might  be  flogged  half  to  death  at  the  whim  of  an  officer, 
and  instinctively  they  protected  their  comrade. 

As  the  Mexican  group  closed  up  behind  him,  and  be- 
tween him  and  Urrea,  Ned  ran  at  top  speed  toward  the 


92  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

west  where  the  arroyo  cut  across  the  plain.  More  Mexi- 
cans were  gathering,  and  there  was  great  confusion. 
Everybody  was  asking  what  was  the  matter.  The  boy's 
quick  wit  did  not  desert  him.  There  was  safety  in 
ignorance  and  the  multitude. 

He  quickly  dropped  to  a  walk  and  he,  too,  began  to 
ask  of  others  what  had  caused  the  trouble.  All  the  while 
he  worked  steadily  toward  the  arroyo,  and  soon  he  left 
behind  him  the  lights  and  the  shouting.  He  now  came 
into  the  dark,  passed  beyond  the  Mexican  lines,  and 
entered  the  cut  in  the  earth  down  which  he  had  come. 

He  was  compelled  to  sit  down  on  the  sand  and  relax. 
He  was  exhausted  by  the  great  effort  of  both  mind  and 
body  which  had  carried  him  through  so  much  danger. 
His  heart  was  beating  heavily  and  he  felt  dizzy.  But 
his  eyes  cleared  presently  and  his  strength  came  back. 
He  considered  himself  safe.  In  the  darkness  it  was  not 
likely  that  any  of  the  Mexicans  would  stumble  upon  him. 

He  thought  of  the  Panther  and  Obed,  but  he  could  do 
nothing  for  them.  He  must  trust  to  meeting  them  again 
at  the  place  appointed.  He  looked  at  the  Mexican  camp. 
The  fires  had  burned  up  again  there  for  a  minute  or  two, 
but  as  he  looked  they  sank  once  more.  The  noise  also 
decreased.  Evidently  they  were  giving  up  the  pursuit. 

Ned  rose  and  walked  slowly  up  the  arroyo.  He  be- 
came aware  that  the  night  was  very  cold  and  it  told 
on  his  relaxed  frame.  He  pulled  up  the  scrape  again, 
and  now  it  was  for  warmth  and  not  for  disguise.  He 
stopped  at  intervals  to  search  the  darkness  with  his  eyes 
and  to  listen  for  noises.  He  might  meet  with  an  enemy 
or  he  might  meet  with  one  of  his  friends.  He  was  pre- 
pared for  either.  He  had  regained  control  of  himself 
both  body  and  mind,  and  his  ready  rifle  rested  in  the 
hollow  of  his  arm. 


SANTA   ANNA'S   ADVANCE  93 

He  met  neither.  He  heard  nothing  but  the  usual 
sighing  of  the  prairie  wind  that  ceased  rarely,  and  he  saw 
nothing  but  the  faint  glow  on  the  southern  horizon  that 
marked  the  Mexican  camp  where  he  had  met  his  enemy. 

He  left  the  arroyo,  and  saw  a  dark  shadow  on  the 
plain,  the  figure  of  a  man,  rifle  in  hand.  Ned  instantly 
sprang  back  into  the  arroyo  and  the  stranger  did  the 
same.  A  curve  in  the  line  of  this  cut  in  the  earth  now 
hid  them  from  each  other,  and  Ned,  his  body  pressed 
against  the  bank,  waited  with  beating  heart.  He  had  no 
doubt  that  it  was  a  Mexican  sentinel  or  scout  more  vigi- 
lant than  the  others,  and  he  felt  his  danger. 

Ned  in  this  crisis  used  the  utmost  caution.  He  did  not 
believe  that  any  other  would  come,  and  it  must  be  a  test 
of  patience  between  him  and  his  enemy.  Whoever  showed 
his  head  first  would  be  likely  to  lose  in  the  duel  for  life. 
He  pressed  himself  closer  and  closer  against  the  bank, 
and  sought  to  detect  some  movement  of  the  stranger.  He 
saw  nothing  and  he  did  not  hear  a  sound.  It  seemed  that 
the  man  had  absolutely  vanished  into  space.  It  occurred 
to  Ned  that  it  might  have  been  a  mere  figment  of  the 
dusk  and  his  excited  brain,  but  he  quickly  dismissed  the 
idea.  He  had  seen  the  man  and  he  had  seen  him  leap 
into  the  arroyo.  There  could  be  no  doubt  of  it. 

There  was  another  long  wait,  and  the  suspense  became 
acute.  The  man  was  surely  on  the  other  side  of  that 
curve  waiting  for  him.  He  was  held  fast.  He  was  al- 
most as  much  a  prisoner  as  if  he  lay  bound  in  the  Mexi- 
can camp.  It  seemed  to  him,  too,  that  the  darkness  was 
thinning  a  little.  It  would  soon  be  day  and  then  he  could 
not  escape  the  notice  of  horsemen  from  Santa  Anna's 
army.  He  decided  that  he  must  risk  an  advance  and  he 
began  creeping  forward  cautiously.  He  remembered 
now  what  he  had  forgotten  in  the  first  moments  of  the 


94  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

meeting.  He  might  yet,  even  before  this  sentinel  or 
scont,  pass  as  a  Mexican. 

He  stopped  suddenly  when  he  heard  a  low  whistle  in 
front  of  him.  While  it  could  be  heard  but  a  short  dis- 
tance, it  was  singularly  sweet.  It  formed  the  first  bars 
of  an  old  tune,  "The  World  Turned  Upside  Down,"  and 
Ned  promptly  recognized  it.  The  whistle  stopped  in  a 
moment  or  two,  but  Ned  took  up  the  air  and  continued  it 
for  a  few  bars  more.  Then,  all  apprehension  gone,  he 
sprang  out  of  the  arroyo  and  stood  upon  the  bank.  An- 
other figure  was  projected  from  the  arroyo  and  stood 
upon  the  bank  facing  him,  not  more  than  twenty  feet 
away. 

Simultaneously  Obed  White  and  Edward  Fulton  ad- 
vanced, shook  hands  and  laughed. 

"You  kept  me  here  waiting  in  this  gully  at  least  half  an 
hour,"  said  Obed.  "Time  and  I  waited  long  on  you." 

"But  no  longer  than  I  waited  on  you,"  said  Ned.  "Why 
didn't  you  think  of  whistling  the  tune  sooner?" 

"Why  didn't  you?" 

They  laughed  and  shook  hands  again. 

"At  any  rate,  we're  here  together  again,  safe  and  un- 
harmed," said  Ned.  "And  now  to  see  what  has  become 
of  the  Panther." 

"You'd  better  be  lookin'  out  for  yourselves  instead  of 
the  Panther,"  growled  a  voice,  as  a  gigantic  figure  up- 
heaved itself  from  the  arroyo  eight  or  ten  yards  behind 
them.  I  could  have  picked  you  both  off  while  you  were 
standin'  there  shakin'  hands,  an'  neither  of  you  would 
never  have  knowed  what  struck  him." 

"The  Panther!"  they  exclaimed  joyously,  and  they 
shook  hands  with  him  also. 

"An*  now,"  said  the  Panther,  "it  will  soon  be  day. 
We'd  better  make  fur  our  horses  an'  then  clear  out.  We 


SANTA   ANNA'S   ADVANCE  95 

kin  tell  'bout  what  we've  seen  an'  done  when  we're  two 
or  three  miles  away." 

They  found  the  horses  safe  in  the  brushwood,  Old  Jack 
welcoming  Ned  with  a  soft  whinny.  They  were  in  the 
saddle  at  once,  rode  swiftly  northward,  and  none  of  them 
spoke  for  a  half  hour.  When  a  faint  tinge  of  gray  ap- 
peared on  the  eastern  rim  of  the  world  the  Panther  said : 

"My  tale's  short.  I  couldn't  get  into  the  camp,  'cause 
I'm  too  big.  The  very  first  fellow  I  saw  looked  at  me 
with  s'picion  painted  all  over  him.  So  I  had  to  keep 
back  in  the  darkness.  But  I  saw  it  was  a  mighty  big 
army.  It  can  do  a  lot  of  rippin',  an'  t'arin',  an'  chawin'." 

"I  got  into  the  camp,"  said  Obed,  after  a  minute  of 
silence,  "but  as  I'm  not  built  much  like  a  Mexican,  being 
eight  or  ten  inches  too  tall,  men  were  looking  at  me  as 
if  I  were  a  strange  specimen.  One  touch  of  difference 
and  all  the  world's  staring  at  you.  So  I  concluded  that 
I'd  better  stay  on  the  outside  of  the  lines.  I  hung  around, 
and  I  saw  just  what  Panther  saw,  no  more  and  no  less. 
Then  I  started  back  and  I  struck  the  arroyo,  which 
seemed  to  me  a  good  way  for  leaving.  But  before  I  had 
gone  far  I  concluded"  I  was  followed.  So  I  watched  the 
fellow  who  was  following,  and  the  fellow  who  was  fol- 
lowing watched  me  for  about  a  year.  The  watch  was 
just  over  when  you  came  up,  Panther.  It  was  long,  but 
it's  a  long  watch  that  has  no  ending." 

"And  I,"  said  Ned,  after  another  wait  of  a  minute, 
"being  neither  so  tall  as  Obed  nor  so  big  around  as  the 
Panther,  was  able  to  go  about  in  the  Mexican  camp  with- 
out any  notice  being  taken  of  me.  I  saw  Santa  Anna 
arrive  to  take  the  chief  command." 

"Santa  Anna  himself?"  exclaimed  the  Panther. 

"Yes,  Santa  Anna  himself.  They  gave  him  a  great 
reception.  After  a  while  I  started  to  come  away.  I  met 


96  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

Urrea.  He  took  me  for  a  peon,  gave  me  an  order,  and 
when  I  didn't  obey  it  tried  to  strike  me  across  the  face 
with  a  whip." 

"And  what  did  you  do?"  exclaimed  the  two  men  to- 
gether. 

"I  took  the  whip  away  from  him  and  lashed  his  cheeks 
with  it.  I  was  recognized,  but  in  the  turmoil  and  con- 
fusion I  escaped.  Then  I  had  the  encounter  with  Obed 
White,  of  which  he  has  told  already." 

"Since  Santa  Anna  has  come,"  said  the  Panther, 
"they're  likely  to  move  at  any  moment.  We'll  ride 
straight  for  the  cabin  an'  the  boys." 


CHAPTER  VI 
FOR  FREEDOM'S  SAKE 

EVIDENTLY  the  horses  had  found  considerable 
grass  through  the  night,  as  they  were  fresh  and 
strong,  and  the  miles  fell  fast  behind  them.  At 
the  gait  at  which  they  were  going  they  would  reach  the 
cabin  that  night.  Meanwhile  they  made  plans.  The 
little  force  would  divide  and  messengers  would  go  to 
San  Antonio,  Harrisburg  and  other  points,  with  the  news 
that  Santa  Anna  was  advancing  with  an  immense  force. 

And  every  one  of  the  three  knew  that  the  need  was 
great.  They  knew  how  divided  counsels  had  scattered 
the  little  Texan  army.  At  San  Antonio,  the  most  im- 
portant point  of  all,  the  town  that  they  had  triumphantly 
taken  from  a  much  greater  force  of  Mexicans,  there  were 
practically  no  men,  and  that  undoubtedly  was  Santa 
Anna's  destination.  Unconsciously  they  began  to  urge 
their  horses  to  great  and  yet  greater  speed,  until  the 
Panther  recalled  them  to  prudence. 

"Slower,  boys!  slower!"  he  said.  "We  mustn't  run 
our  horses  out  at  the  start." 

"And  there's  a  second  reason  for  pulling  down,"  said 
Ned,  "since  there's  somebody  else  on  the  plain." 

His  uncommon  eyesight  had  already  detected  before 
the  others  the  strange  presence.  He  pointed  toward  the 
East. 

"Do  you  see  that  black  speck  there,  where  the  sky 
touches  the  ground?"  he  said.  "If  you'll  watch  it  you'll 

97 


98  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

see  that  it's  moving.  And  look!  There's  another!  and 
another !  and  another !" 

The  Panther  and  Obed  now  saw  the  black  specks  also. 
The  three  stopped  on  the  crest  of  a  swell  and  watched 
them  attentively. 

"One !  two !  three !  four !  five !  six !  seven !  eight !  nine ! 
ten!  eleven!  twelve!  thirteen!"  counted  the  far-sighted 
boy. 

"An'  them  thirteen  specks  are  thirteen  men  on  horse- 
back," continued  the  Panther,  "an'  now  I  wonder  who  in 
the  name  of  the  great  horn  spoon  they  are !" 

"Suppose  we  see,"  said  Obed.  "All  things  are  revealed 
to  him  who  looks — at  least  most  of  the  time.  It  is  true 
that  they  are  more  than  four  to  our  one,  but  our  horses 
are  swift,  and  we  can  get  away." 

"That's  right,"  said  the  Panther.  "Still,  we  oughtn't 
to  take  the  risk  unless  everybody  is  willin'.  What  do  you 
say,  Ned?" 

"I  reply  'yes/  of  course,"  said  the  boy,  "especially  as 
I've  an  idea  that  those  are  not  Mexicans.  They  look  too 
big  and  tall,  and  they  sit  too  straight  up  in  their  saddles 
for  Mexicans." 

"Them  ideas  of  yours  are  ketchin',"  said  the  Panther. 
"Them  fellers  may  be  Mexicans,  but  they  don't  look  like 
Mexicans,  they  don't  act  like  Mexicans,  an'  they  ain't 
Mexicans." 

"Take  out  what  isn't,  and  you  have  left  what  is,"  said 
Obed. 

"We'll. soon  see,"  said  Ned. 

A  few  minutes  more  and  there  could  be  no  further 
doubt  that  the  thirteen  were  Texans  or  Americans.  One 
rode  a  little  ahead  of  the  others,  who  came  on  in  an  even 
line.  They  were  mounted  on  large  horses,  but  the  man 
in  front  held  Ned's  attention. 


FOR   FREEDOM'S   SAKE  99 

The  leader  was  tall  and  thin,  but  evidently  muscular 
and  powerful.  His  hair  was  straight  and  black  like  an 
Indian's.  His  features  were  angular  and  tanned  by  the 
winds  of  many  years.  His  body  was  clothed  completely 
in  buckskin,  and  a  raccoon  skin  cap  was  on  his  head. 
Across  his  shoulder  lay  a  rifle  with  a  barrel  of  unusual 
length. 

"Never  saw  any  of  them  before,"  said  the  Panther. 
"By  the  great  horn  spoon,  who  can  that  feller  in  front 
be?  He  looks  like  somebody." 

The  little  band  rode  closer,  and  its  leader  held  up  his 
hands  as  a  sign  of  amity. 

"Good  friends,"  he  said,  in  a  deep  clear  voice, 
"we  don't  have  very  close  neighbors  out  here,  and  that 
makes  a  meeting  all  the  pleasanter.  You  are  Texans,  I 
guess." 

"You  guess  right,"  said  the  Panther,  in  the  same 
friendly  tone.  "An*  are  you  Texans,  too?" 

"That  point  might  be  debated,"  replied  the  man,  in  a 
whimsical  tone,  "and  after  a  long  dispute  neither  I  nor 
my  partners  here  could  say  which  was  right  and  which 
was  wrong.  But  while  we  may  not  be  Texans,  yet  we 
will  be  right  away." 

His  eyes  twinkled  as  he  spoke,  and  Ned  suddenly  felt 
a  strong  liking  for  him.  He  was  not  young  and,  despite 
his  buckskin  dress  and  careless  grammar,  there  was 
something  of  the  man  of  the  world  about  him.  But  he 
seemed  to  have  a  certain  boyishness  of  spirit  that  ap- 
pealed strongly  to  Ned. 

"I  s'pose,"  he  continued,  "that  a  baptism  will  make  us 
genuine  Texans,  an'  it  'pears  likely  to  me  that  we'll  get 
that  most  lastin'  of  all  baptisms,  a  baptism  of  fire.  But 
me  an'  Betsy  here  stand  ready  for  it." 

He  patted  lovingly  the  stock  of  his  long  rifle  as  he 


ioo  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

spoke  the  word  "Betsy."  It  was  the  same  word  "Betsy" 
that  gave  Ned  his  sudden  knowledge. 

"I'm  thinking  that  you  are  Davy  Crockett,"  he  said. 

The  man's  face  was  illumined  with  an  inimitable  smile. 

"Correct,"  he  said.  "No  more  and  no  less.  Andy 
Jackson  kept  me  from  going  back  to  Washington,  an'  so 
me  an'  these  twelve  good  friends  of  mine,  Tennesseans 
like  myself,  have  come  here  to  help  free  Texas." 

He  reached  out  his  hand  and  Ned  grasped  it.  The  boy 
felt  a  thrill.  The  name  of  Davy  Crockett  was  a  great 
one  in  the  southwest,  and  here  he  was,  face  to  face,  hands 
gripped  with  the  great  borderer. 

"This  is  Mr.  Palmer,  known  all  over  Texas  as  the 
Panther,  and  Mr.  Obed  White,  once  of  Maine,  but  now 
a  Texan,"  said  Ned,  introducing  his  friends. 

Crockett  and  the  Panther  shook  hands,  and  looked 
each  other  squarely  in  the  eye. 

"Seems  to  me,"  said  Crockett,  "that  you're  a  man." 

"I  was  jest  thinkin'  the  same  of  you,"  said  the  Panther. 

"An*  you,"  said  Crockett  to  Obed  White,  "are  a  man, 
too.  But  they  certainly  do  grow  tall  where  you  come 
from." 

"I'm  not  as  wide  as  a  barn  door,  but  I  may  be  long 
enough  to  reach  the  bottom  of  a  well,"  said  Obed  mod- 
estly. "Anyway,  I  thank  you  for  the  compliment.  Praise 
from  Sir  Davy  is  sweet  music  in  my  ear,  indeed.  And 
since  we  Texans  have  to  stand  together,  and  since  to 
stand  together  we  must  know  about  one  another,  may  I 
ask  you,  Mr.  Crockett,  which  way  you  are  going?" 

"We  had  an  idea  that  we  would  go  to  San  Antonio," 
said  Crockett,  "but  I'm  never  above  changin'  my  opinion. 
If  you  think  it  better  to  go  somewhere  else,  an'  can  prove 
it,  why  me  an'  Betsy  an'  the  whole  crowd  are  ready  to 
go  there  instead." 


FOR   FREEDOM'S    SAKE  101 

"What  would  you  say  ?"  asked  the  Panther,  "if  we  told 
you  that  Santa  Anna  an'  7,000  men  were  on  the  Rio 
Grande  ready  to  march  on  San  Antonio?" 

"If  you  said  it,  I'd  say  it  was  true.  I'd  also  say  that 
it  was  a  thing  the  Texans  had  better  consider.  If  I  was 
usin'  adjectives  I'd  call  it  alarmin'." 

"An*  what  would  you  say  if  I  told  you  there  wasn't 
a  hundred  Texan  soldiers  in  San  Antonio  to  meet  them 
seven  thousand  Mexicans  comin'  under  Santa  Anna?" 

"If  you  told  me  that  I'd  say  it  was  true.  I'd  say  also, 
if  I  was  usin'  adjectives,  that  it  was  powerful  alarmin'. 
For  Heaven's  sake,  Mr.  Panther,  the  state  of  affairs 
ain't  so  bad  as  that,  is  it?" 

"It  certainly  is,"  replied  the  Panther.  "Ned  Fulton 
here  was  all  through  their  camp  last  night.  He  can  talk 
Mexican  an'  Spanish  like  lightnin'  an'  he  makes  up  won- 
derful— an'  he  saw  their  whole  army.  He  saw  old  Santa 
Anna,  too,  an'  fifty  or  a  hundred  generals,  all  covered 
with  gold  lace.  If  we  don't  get  a  lot  of  fightin'  men  to- 
gether an'  get  'em  quick,  Texas  will  be  swept  clean  by 
that  Mexican  army  same  as  if  a  field  had  been  crossed 
by  millions  of  locusts." 

It  was  obvious  that  Crockett  was  impressed  deeply  by 
these  blunt  statements. 

"What  do  you  wish  us  to  do  ?"  he  asked  the  Panther. 

"You  an'  your  friends  come  with  us.  We've  got  some 
good  men  at  a  cabin  in  the  woods  that  we  can  reach 
to-night.  We'll  join  with  them,  raise  as  many  more 
as  we  can,  spread  the  alarm  everywhere,  an'  do  every- 
thing possible  for  the  defence  of  San  Antonio." 

"A  good  plan,  Mr.  Panther,"  said  Crocket.  "You  lead 
the  way  to  this  cabin  of  yours,  an'  remember  that  we're 
servin'  under  you  for  the  time  bein'." 

The  Panther  rode  on  without  another  word  and  the 


102  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

party,  now  raised  from  three  to  sixteen,  followed.  Crock- 
ett fell  in  by  the  side  of  Ned,  and  soon  showed  that  he 
was  not  averse  to  talking. 

"A  good  country,"  he  said,  nodding  at  the  landscape, 
"but  it  ain't  like  Tennessee.  It  would  take  me  a  long 
time  to  git  used  to  the  lack  of  hills  an'  runnin'  water  an' 
trees  which  just  cover  the  state  of  Tennessee." 

"We  have  them  here,  too,"  replied  Ned,  "though  I'll 
admit  they're  scattered.  But  it's  a  grand  country  to 
fight  for." 

"An'  as  I  see  it  we'll  have  a  grand  lot  of  fightin'  to 
do,"  said  Davy  Crockett. 

They  continued  at  good  speed  until  twilight,  when  they 
rested  their  horses  and  ate  of  the  food  that  they  carried. 
The  night  promised  to  be  cold  but  clear,  and  the  crisp  air 
quickened  their  blood. 

"How  much  further  is  it?"  asked  Crockett  of  Ned. 

"Fifteen  or  eighteen  miles,  but  at  the  rate  we're  going 
we  should  be  there  in  three  hours.  We've  got  a  roof. 
It  isn't  a  big  one,  and  we  don't  know  who  built  it,  but  it 
will  shelter  us  all." 

"I  ain't  complainin'  of  that,"  rejoined  Davy  Crockett. 
"I'm  a  lover  of  fresh  air  an'  outdoors,  but  I  don't  object 
to  a  roof  in  cold  weather.  Always  take  your  comfort, 
boy,  when  it's  offered  to  you.  It  saves  wear  an'  tear." 

A  friendship  like  that  between  him  and  Bowie  was 
established  already  between  Ned  and  Crockett.  Ned's 
grave  and  serious  manner,  the  result  of  the  sufferings 
through  which  he  had  gone,  invariably  attracted  the  at- 
tention and  liking  of  those  far  older  than  himself. 

"I'll  remember  your  advice,  Mr.  Crockett,"  he  said. 

A  rest  of  a  half  hour  for  the  horses  and  they  started 
riding  rapidly.  After  a  while  they  struck  the  belt  of 
forest  and  soon  the  cabin  was  not  more  than  a  mile  away. 


FOR   FREEDOM'S   SAKE  103 

But  the  Panther,  who  was  still  in  the  lead,  pulled  up  his 
horse  suddenly. 

"Boys,"  he  exclaimed,  "did  you  hear  that?" 

Every  man  stopped  his  horse  also  and  with  involuntary 
motion  bent  forward  a  little  to  listen.  Then  the  sound 
that  the  Panther  had  heard  came  again.  It  was  the  faint 
ping  of  a  rifle  shot,  muffled  by  the  distance.  In  a  mo- 
ment they  heard  another  and  then  two  more.  The  sounds 
came  from  the  direction  of  their  cabin. 

"The  boys  are  attacked,"  said  the  Panther  calmly,  "an' 
it's  just  as  well  that  we've  come  fast.  But  I  can't  think 
who  is  after  'em.  There  was  certainly  no  Mexicans  in 
these  parts  yesterday,  an'  Urrea  could  not  possibly  have 
got  ahead  of  us  with  a  raidin'  band.  But  at  any  rate  we'll 
ride  on  an'  soon  see." 

They  proceeded  with  the  utmost  caution,  and  they 
heard  the  faint  ping  of  the  rifles  a  half  dozen  times  as 
they  advanced.  The  nostrils  of  the  Panther  began  to  dis- 
tend, and  streaks  of  red  appeared  on  his  eyeballs.  He 
was  smelling  the  battle  afar,  and  his  soul  rejoiced.  He 
had  spent  his  whole  life  amid  scenes  of  danger,  and  this 
was  nature  to  him.  Crockett  rode  up  by  his  side,  and  he, 
too,  listened  eagerly.  He  no  longer  carried  Betsy  over 
his  shoulder  but  held  the  long  rifle  across  the  pommel  of 
his  saddle,  his  hand  upon  hammer  and  trigger. 

"What  do  you  think  it  is,  Panther?"  he  asked.  Al- 
ready he  had  fallen  into  the  easy  familiarity  of  the 
frontier. 

"I  can't  make  it  out  yet,"  replied  the  Panther,  "but 
them  shots  shorely  came  from  the  cabin  an'  places  about 
it.  Our  fellows  are  besieged,  but  I've  got  to  guess  at 
the  besiegers,  an'  then  I'm  likely  to  guess  wrong." 

They  were  riding  very  slowly,  and  presently  they  heard 
a  dozen  shots,  coming  very  clearly  now.  ; 


104  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"I  think  we'd  better  stop  here,"  said  the  Panther,  "an' 
do  a  little  scoutin'.  If  you  like  it,  Mr.  Crockett,  you  an' 
me  an'  Ned,  here,  will  dismount,  slip  forward  an'  see 
what's  the  trouble.  Obed  will  take  command  of  the 
others,  an'  wait  in  the  bushes  till  we  come  back  with  the 
news,  whatever  it  is." 

"I'll  go  with  you  gladly,"  said  Davy  Crockett.  "I'm 
not  lookin'  for  trouble  with  a  microscope,  but  if  trouble 
gets  right  in  my  path  I'm  not  dodgin'  it.  So  I  say  once 
more,  lead  on,  noble  Mr.  Panther,  an'  if  Betsy  here  must 
talk  she'll  talk." 

The  Panther  grinned  in  the  dusk.  He  and  Davy 
Crockett  had  instantly  recognized  congenial  souls,  each  in 
the  other. 

"I  can't  promise  you  that  thar'll  be  rippin'  an'  t'arin' 
an'  roarin'  an'  chawin'  all  the  time,"  he  said,  "but  be- 
tween you  an'  me,  Davy  Crockett,  I've  an'  idee  that  we're 
not  goin'  to  any  sort  of  prayer  meetin'  this  time  of 
night." 

"No,  I'm  thinkin'  not,"  said  Crockett,  "but  if  there  is 
a  scene  of  turbulence  before  us  lead  on.  I'm  prepared 
for  my  share  in  it.  The  debate  may  be  lively,  but  I've  no 
doubt  that  I'll  get  my  chance  to  speak.  There  are  many 
ways  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  Speaker.  Pardon 
me,  Mr.  Panther,  but  I  fall  naturally  into  the  phrases  of 
legislative  halls." 

"I  remember  that  you  served  two  terms  in  Congress  at 
Washington,"  said  the  Panther. 

"An*  I'd  be  there  yet  if  it  wasn't  for  Andy  Jackson. 
I  wanted  my  way  in  Tennessee  politics  an'  he  wanted 
his.  He  was  so  stubborn  an'  headstrong  that  here  I  am 
ready  to  become  a  statesman  in  this  new  Texas  which  is 
fightin'  for  its  independence.  An'  what  a  change !  From 
marble  halls  in  Washington  to  a  night  in  the  brush  on 


FOR   FREEDOM'S    SAKE  105 

the  frontier,  an'  with  an  unknown  enemy  before  you." 

They  stopped  talking  now  and,  kneeling  down  in  a 
thicket,  began  to  creep  forward.  The  cabin  was  not  more 
than  four  or  five  hundred  yards  away,  but  a  long  silence 
had  succeeded  the  latest  shots,  and  after  an  advance  of 
thirty  or  forty  yards  they  lay  still  for  a  while.  Then 
they  heard  two  shots  ahead  of  them,  and  saw  little  pink 
dots  of  flame  from  the  exploding  gunpowder. 

"It  cannot  be  Mexicans  who  are  besieging  the  cabin," 
said  Ned.  "They  would  shout  or  make  some  kind  of  a 
noise.  We  have  not  heard  a  thing  but  the  rifle  shots." 

"Your  argyment  is  good,"  whispered  the  Panther. 
"Look !  Did  you  see  that  figure  passin'  between  us  an' 
the  cabin?" 

"I  saw  it,"  said  Davy  Crockett,  "an*  although  it  was 
but  a  glimpse  an'  this  is  night  it  did  not  seem  to  me  to 
be  clad  in  full  Christian  raiment.  I  am  quite  sure  it  is 
not  the  kind  of  costume  that  would  be  admitted  to  the 
galleries  of  Congress." 

"You're  right,  doubly  right,"  said  the  Panther.  "That 
was  an  Injun  you  saw,  but  whether  a  Comanche  or  a 
Lipan  I  couldn't  tell.  The  boys  are  besieged  not  by 
Mexicans,  but  by  Injuns.  Hark  to  that !" 

There  was  a  flash  from  the  cabin,  a  dusky  figure  in 
the  woods  leaped  into  the  air,  uttered  a  death  cry,  fell 
and  lay  still. 

"An',  as  you  see,"  continued  the  Panther,  in  his  whis- 
per, "the  boys  in  the  house  are  not  asleep,  dreamin' 
beautiful  dreams.  Looks  to  me  as  if  they  was  watchin' 
mighty  sharp  for  them  fellers  who  have  broke  up  their 
rest." 

Crack!  went  a  second  shot  from  the  house,  but  there 
was  no  answering  cry,  and  they  could  not  tell  whether  it 
hit  anything.  But  they  soon  saw  more  dark  figures  flit- 


io6  THE  TEXAN    SCOUTS 

ting  through  the  bushes,  and  their  own  position  grew  very 
precarious.  If  a  band  of  the  Indians  stumbled  upon  them 
they  might  be  annihilated  before  they  gave  their  be- 
sieged comrades  any  help. 

"I  make  the  motion,  Mr.  Panther,"  said  Crockett, 
"that  you  form  a  speedy  plan  of  action  for  us,  an'  I  trust 
that  our  young  friend  Ned  here  will  second  it." 

"I  second  the  motion,"  said  Ned. 

"It  is  carried  unanimously.  Now,  Mr.  Panther,  we 
await  your  will." 

"It's  my  will  that  we  git  back  to  the  rest  of  the  men 
as  soon  as  we  can.  I  reckon,  Mr.  Crockett,  that  them 
Tennesseans  of  yours  wouldn't  head  in  the  other  direc- 
tion if  a  fight  grew  hot." 

"I  reckon  that  wild  horses  couldn't  drag  'em  away," 
said  Crockett  dryly. 

"Then  we'll  go  back  an'  j'in  'em." 

"To  hold  a  caucus,  so  to  speak." 

"I  don't  know  what  a  cow-cuss  is." 

"It's  Congressional  for  a  conference.  Don't  mind  these 
parliamentary  expressions  of  mine,  Mr.  Panther.  They 
give  me  pleasure  an'  they  hurt  nobody." 

They  reached  the  Tennesseans  without  interruption, 
and  the  Panther  quickly  laid  his  plan  before  them.  They 
would  advance  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  cabin,  tie 
their  horses  in  the  thickest  of  the  brush,  leave  four  men 
to  guard  them,  then  the  rest  would  go  forward  to  help 
the  besieged. 

Crockett's  eyes  twinkled  when  the  Panther  announced 
the  campaign  in  a  few  words. 

Very  good;  very  good,"  he  said.  "A  steering  com- 
mittee could  not  have  done  better.  That  also  is  parlia- 
mentary, but  I  think  you  understand  it." 

They  heard  detached  shots  again  and  then  a  long  yell. 


FOR   FREEDOM'S    SAKE  107 

"They're  Comanches,"  said  the  Panther.  "I  know 
their  cry,  an'  I  guess  there's  a  lot  of  them." 

Ned  hoped  that  the  shout  did  not  mean  the  achieving 
of  some  triumph.  They  reached  presently  a  dense  growth 
of  brush,  and  there  the  horses  were  tied.  Four  reluctant 
Tennesseans  remained  with  them  and  the  rest  crept  for- 
ward. They  did  not  hear  any  shot  after  they  left  the 
horses  until  they  were  within  three  hundred  yards  of  the 
house.  Then  an  apparition  caused  all  to  stop  simul- 
taneously. 

A  streak  of  flame  shot  above  the  trees,  curved  and 
fell.  It  was  followed  by  another  and  another.  Ned  was 
puzzled,  but  the  Panther  laughed  low. 

"This  can't  be  fireworks  on  election  night,"  said  Davy 
Crockett.  "It  seems  hardly  the  place  for  such  a  dis- 
play." 

"They're  fireworks,  all  right,"  said  the  Panther, 
"but  it's  not  election  night.  You're  correct  about 
that  part  of  it.  Look,  there  goes  the  fourth  an'  the 
fifth." 

Two  more  streaks  of  flame  curved  and  fell,  and  Ned 
and  Crockett  were  still  puzzled. 

"Them's  burnin'  arrers,"  said  the  Panther.  "It's  an 
old  trick  of  the  Injuns.  If  they  had  time  enough  they'd 
be  sure  to  set  the  cabin  on  fire,  and  then  from  ambush 
they'd  shoot  the  people  as  they  ran  out.  But  what  we're 
here  for  is  to  stop  that  little  game  of  theirs.  The  flight 
of  the  arrers  enables  us  to  locate  the  spot  from  which 
they  come  an'  there  we'll  find  the  Comanches." 

They  crept  toward  the  point  from  which  the  lighted 
arrows  were  flying,  and  peering  from  the  thicket  saw  a 
score  or  more  of  Comanches  gathered  in  the  bushes  and 
under  the  trees.  One  of  the  Tennesseans,  seeking  a  bet- 
ter position,  caused  a  loud  rustling,  and  the  alert  Co- 


io8  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

manches,  instantly  taking  alarm,  turned  their  attention 
to  the  point  from  which  the  sound  had  come. 

"Fire,  boys !    Fire  at  once !"  cried  the  Panther. 

A  deadly  volley  was  poured  into  the  Comanche  band. 
The  Indians  replied,  but  were  soon  compelled  to  give 
way.  The  Panther,  raising  his  voice,  shouted  in  tre- 
mendous tones : 

"Rescue !    Rescue !    We're  here,  boys !" 

The  defenders  of  the  cabin,  hearing  the  volleys  and 
the  shouts  of  their  friends,  opened  the  door  and  rushed 
out  of  the  cabin,  rifle  in  hand.  Caught  between  two 
forces,  the  Comanches  gave  up  and  rushed  to  the  plain, 
where  they  had  left  their  ponies.  Jumping  upon  the 
backs  of  these,  they  fled  like  the  wind. 

The  two  victorious  parties  met  and  shook  hands. 

"We're  mighty  glad  to  see  you,  Panther,"  said  Fields, 
grinning.  "You  don't  look  like  an  angel,  but  you  act 
like  one,  an'  I  see  you've  brought  a  lot  of  new  angels 
with  you." 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Panther,  with  some  pride  in  his 
voice,  "an'  the  first  of  the  angels  is  Davy  Crockett.  Mr. 
Crockett,  Mr.  Fields." 

The  men  crowded  around  to  shake  hands  with  the 
renowned  Davy.  Meanwhile  a  small  party  brought  the 
four  Tennesseans  and  the  horses.  Fortunately  the  Co- 
manches had  fled  in  the  other  direction.  But  it  was  not 
all  joy  in  the  Texan  camp.  Two  silent  figures  covered 
with  scrapes  were  stretched  on  the  floor  in  the  cabin,  and 
several  others  had  wounds,  although  they  had  borne  their 
part  in  the  fighting. 

"Tell  us  how  it  happened,"  said  the  Panther,  after  they 
had  set  sentinels  in  the  forest. 

"They  attacked  us  about  an  hour  after  dark,"  replied 
Fields.  "We  knew  that  no  Mexicans  were  near,  but  we 


FOR  FREEDOM'S   SAKE  109 

never  thought  of  Indians  raiding  this  far  to  the  eastward. 
Some  of  the  men  were  outside  looking  after  jerked  meat 
when  they  suddenly  opened  fire  from  the  brush.  Two 
of  the  boys,  Campbell  and  Hudson,  were  hurt  so  badly 
that  they  died  after  they  were  helped  into  the  house  by 
the  others.  The  Comanches  tried  to  rush  in  with  our 
own  men,  but  we  drove  them  off  and  we  could  have  held 
the  cabin  against  'em  forever,  if  they  hadn't  begun  to 
shoot  the  burning  arrows.  Then  you  came." 

Campbell  and  Hudson  were  buried.  Ned  had  been 
welcomed  warmly  by  Allen,  and  the  two  boys  compared 
notes.  Will's  face  glowed  when  he  heard  of  Ned's  ad- 
ventures within  the  Mexican  lines. 

"I  could  never  have  done  it,"  he  said.  "I  couldn't  have 
kept  steady  enough  when  one  crisis  after  another  came 
along.  I  suppose  this  means,  of  course,  that  we  must  try 
to  meet  Santa  Anna  in  some  way.  What  do  you  think  we 
can  do,  Ned?" 

"I  don't  know,  but  just  at  present  I'm  going  to  sleep. 
The  Panther,  Davy  Crockett  and  Obed  will  debate  the 
plans." 

Ned,  who  was  becoming  inured  to  war  and  danger,  was 
soon  asleep,  but  Will  could  not  close  his  eyes.  He  had 
borne  a  gallant  part  in  the  defense,  and  the  sounds  of 
rifle  shots  and  Indian  yells  still  resounded  in  his  excited 
ear.  He  remained  awake  long  after  he  heard  the  heavy 
breathing  of  the  men  about  him,  but  exhausted  nerves 
gave  way  at  last  and  he,  too,  slept. 

The  next  morning  their  news  was  debated  gravely  by 
all.  There  was  not  one  among  them  who  did  not  under- 
stand its  significance,  but  it  was  hard  to  agree  upon  a 
policy.  Davy  Crockett,  who  had  just  come,  and  who  was 
practically  a  stranger  to  Texas,  gave  his  opinions  with 
hesitation. 


no  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"It's  better  for  you,  Mr.  Panther,  an'  you,  Mr.  White, 
to  make  the  motions,"  he  said,  "an'  I  an'  my  Tennesseans 
will  endorse  them.  But  it  seems,  boys,  that  if  we  came 
for  a  fight  it  is  offered  to  us  the  moment  we  get  here." 

"Yes,"  said  the  twelve  Tennesseans  all  together. 

"I  shall  be  compelled  to  leave  you,"  said  Roylston. 
"Pray,  don't  think  it's  because  I'm  afraid  to  fight  the 
Mexicans.  But,  as  I  told  you  before,  I  can  do  far  greater 
good  for  the  Texan  cause  elsewhere.  As  I  am  now  as 
well  as  ever,  and  I  am  able  to  take  care  of  myself,  I  think 
I  shall  leave  at  once." 

"I've  known  you  only  a  few  hours,  Mr.  Roylston," 
said  Crockett,  "but  I've  knocked  around  a  hard  world 
long  enough  to  know  a  man  when  I  see  him.  If  you  say 
you  ought,  you  ought  to  go." 

"That's  so,"  said  the  Panther.  "We've  seen  Mr.  Royl- 
ston tried  more  than  once,  and  nobody  doubts  his  cour- 
age." 

A  good  horse,  saddled  and  bridled,  and  arms  and  am- 
munition, were  given  to  Roylston.  Then  he  bade  them 
farewell.  When  he  was  about  twenty  yards  away  he 
beckoned  to  Ned.  When  the  boy  stood  at  his  saddle  bow 
he  said  very  earnestly: 

"If  you  fall  again  into  the  hands  of  Santa  Anna,  and 
are  in  danger  of  your  life,  use  my  name  with  him.  It  is 
perhaps  a  more  potent  weapon  than  you  think.  Do  not 
forget." 

"I  will  not,"  said  Ned,  "and  I  thank  you  very  much, 
Mr.  Roylston.  But  I  hope  that  no  such  occasion  will 
arise." 

"So  do  I,"  said  Roylston  with  emphasis.  Then  he 
rode  away,  a  square,  strong  figure,  and  never  looked  back. 

"What  was  he  saying,  Ned  ?"  asked  Will,  when  the  boy 
returned. 


FOR   FREEDOM'S    SAKE  in 

"Merely  promising  help  if  we  should  need  it,  here- 
after." 

"He  looks  like  a  man  who  would  give  it." 

After  some  further  talk  it  was  decided  that  Ned,  Will, 
Obed  and  the  Panther  should  ride  south  to  watch  the  ad- 
vance of  Santa  Anna,  while  Crockett,  Fields  and  the  re- 
mainder should  go  to  San  Antonio  and  raise  such  troops 
as  they  could. 

"An'  if  you  don't  mind  my  sayin'  it  to  you,  Mr. 
Crockett,"  said  the  Panther,  "keep  tellin'  'em  over  an' 
over  again  that  they  have  need  to  beware.  Tell  'em  that 
Santa  Anna,  with  all  the  power  of  Mexico  at  his  back, 
is  comin'." 

"Fear  not,  my  good  friend,"  said  Davy  Crockett.  "I 
shall  tell  them  every  hour  of  the  day.  I  shall  never  cease 
to  bring  the  information  before  the  full  quorum  of  the 
House.  Again  I  am  parliamentary,  but  I  think  you  un- 
derstand, Mr.  Panther." 

"We  all  understan',"  said  the  Panther,  and  then 
Crockett  rode  away  at  the  head  of  the  little  troop  which 
tacitly  made  him  commander.  Ned's  eyes  followed  his 
figure  as  long  as  he  was  in  sight.  Little  did  he  dream 
of  what  was  to  pass  when  they  should  meet  again,  scenes 
that  one  could  never  forget,  though  he  lived  a  thousand 
years. 

"A  staunch  man  and  true,"  said  Obed.  "He  will  be  a 
great  help  to  Texas." 

Then  they  turned  back  to  the  cabin,  the  four  of  them, 
because  they  did  not  intend  to  go  forth  until  night. 
They  missed  their  comrades,  but  the  cabin  was  a  pleasant 
place,  well  stored  now  with  meat  of  buffalo,  deer  and 
wild  turkey.  Floor  and  walls  alike  were  covered  with 
dressed  skins. 

"Why  not  fasten  it  up  just  as  tightly  as  we  can  before 


ii2  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

we  go  away,"  said  Allen.  "The  Comanches  are  not  likely 
to  come  back,  the  war  is  swinging  another  way,  and 
maybe  we'll  find  it  here  handy  for  us  again  some  day." 

"You're  talkin'  sense,  Will  Allen,"  said  the  Panther. 
"It's  been  a  shelter  to  us  once,  and  it  might  be  a  shelter 
to  us  twice.  The  smell  of  the  meat  will,  of  course,  draw 
wolves  an'  panthers,  but  we  can  fix  it  so  they  can't  get 
in." 

Taking  sufficient  provisions  for  themselves,  they  put 
the  rest  high  up  on  the  rafters.  Then  they  secured  the 
windows,  and  heaped  logs  before  the  door  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  the  smartest  wolves  and  panthers  in  the  world 
could  not  force  an  entrance.  As  they  sat  on  their  horses 
in  the  twilight  preparatory  to  riding  away,  they  regarded 
their  work  with  great  content. 

"There  it  is,  waiting  for  us  when  we  come  again,"  said 
Obed  White.  "It's  a  pleasant  thing  to  have  a  castle  for 
refuge  when  your  enemies  are  making  it  too  hot  for  you 
out  in  the  open." 

"So  it  is,"  said  the  Panther,  "and  a  man  finds  that  out 
more  than  once  in  his  life." 

Then  they  turned  their  horses  and  rode  southward  in 
the  dusk.  But  before  long  they  made  an  angle  and 
turned  almost  due  west.  It  was  their  intention  to  inter- 
sect the  settlements  that  lay  between  the  Rio  Grande  and 
San  Antonio  and  give  warning  of  the  approach  of  Santa 
Anna. 

They  went  on  steadily  over  a  rolling  country,  mostly 
bare,  but  with  occasional  clumps  of  trees. 


CHAPTER  VII 
THE  HERALD   OF  ATTACK 

ABOUT  midnight  they  rode  into  the  thickest  part 
of  the  woods  that  they  could  find,  and  slept  there 
until  day.     Then    they    continued  their  course 
toward  the  west,  and  before  night  they  saw  afar  small 
bands  of  horsemen. 

"What  do  you  say  they  are?"  asked  the  Panther  of 
Ned  when  they  beheld  the  first  group.  "Seems  to  me 
they  are  Mexican." 

Ned.  looked  long  before  returning  an  answer.  Then 
he  replied  with  confidence: 

"Yes,  they  are  Mexicans.  The  two  men  in  the  rear 
have  lances,  and  no  Texan  ever  carried  such  a  weapon." 

"Then,"  said  Obed  White,  "it  behooves  us  to  have  a 
care.  We're  scouts  now  and  we're  not  looking  for  a 
battle.  He  who  dodges  the  fight  and  runs  away  may  live 
to  scout  another  day." 

The  Mexican  horsemen  were  on  their  right,  and  the 
four  continued  their  steady  course  to  the  west.  They 
were  reassured  by  the  fact  that  the  Mexicans  were  likely 
to  take  them  in  the  distance  for  other  Mexicans.  It  be- 
came evident  now  that  Santa  Anna  was  taking  every  pre- 
caution. He  was  sending  forward  scouts  and  skirmishers 
in  force,  and  the  task  of  the  four  was  likely  to  become 
one  of  great  danger. 

Toward   night   an   uncommonly   raw   and   cold   wind 
began  to  blow.    That  winter  was  one  of  great  severity 
113 


H4  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

in  Northern  Mexico  and  Southern  Texas,  noted  also 
for  its  frequent  Northers.  Although  the  time  for  the 
Texan  spring  was  near  at  hand,  there  was  little  sign  of  it. 
Not  knowing  what  else  to  do  they  sought  the  shelter  of 
timber  again  and  remained  there  a  while.  By  and  by 
they  saw  for  the  second  time  a  red  glow  in  the  south,  and 
they  knew  that  it  came  from  the  camp  fires  of  Santa 
Anna.  But  it  was  now  many  miles  north  of  the  Rio 
Grande.  Santa  Anna  was  advancing. 

"He's  pressin'  forward  fast,"  said  the  Panther,  "an' 
his  skirmishers  are  scourin'  the  plain  ahead  of  him. 
We've  got  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout,  because  we  may  run 
into  'em  at  any  time.  I  think  we'd  better  agree  that  if  by 
any  luck  we  get  separated  an'  can't  reunite,  every  fellow 
should  ride  hard  for  San  Antonio  with  the  news." 

The  plan  seemed  good  to  all,  and,  after  a  long  wait, 
they  rode  to  another  clump  of  trees  four  or  five  hundred 
yards  further  south.  Here  they  saw  the  red  glow  more 
plainly.  It  could  not  be  more  than  two  miles  away,  and 
they  believed  that  to  approach  any  nearer  was  to  imperil 
their  task.  Before  the  first  light  appeared  the  next  day 
they  would  turn  back  on  San  Antonio  as  the  heralds  of 
Santa  Anna's  advance. 

The  four  sat  on  their  horses  among  the  trees,  darker 
shadows  in  the  shadow.  Beyond  the  little  grove  they 
saw  the  plain  rolling  away  on  every  side  bare  to  the 
horizon,  except  in  the  south,  where  the  red  glow  always 
threatened.  Ned  rode  to  the  western  edge  of  the  grove 
in  order  to  get  a  better  view.  He  searched  the  plain 
carefully  with  his  keen  vision,  but  he  could  find  no  sign 
of  life  there  in  the  west. 

He  turned  Old  Jack  in  order  to  rejoin  his  comrades, 
when  he  suddenly  heard  a  low  sound  from  the  east.  He 
listened  a  moment,  and  then,  hearing  it  distinctly,  he 


THE   HERALD   OF   ATTACK  115 

knew  it.  It  was  the  thud  of  hoofs,  and  the  horsemen 
were  coming  straight  toward  the  grove,  which  was  two 
or  three  hundred  yards  in  width. 

Owing  to  the  darkness  and  the  foliage  Ned  could  not 
see  his  comrades,  but  he  started  toward  them  at  once. 
Then  came  a  sudden  cry,  the  rapid  beat  of  hoofs,  the 
crack  of  shots,  and  a  Mexican  body  of  cavalry  dashed 
into  the  wood  directly  between  the  boy  and  his  com- 
rades. He  heard  once  the  tremendous  shout  of  the 
Panther  and  the  wild  Mexican  yells.  Two  horsemen 
fired  at  him  and  a  third  rode  at  him  with  extended  lance. 

It  was  Old  Jack  that  saved  Ned's  life.  The  boy  was 
so  startled  that  his  brain  was  in  a  paralysis  for  a  moment. 
But  the  horse  shied  suddenly  away  from  the  head  of  the 
lance,  which  was  flashing  in  the  moonlight.  Ned  re- 
tained both  his  seat  and  his  rifle.  He  fired  at  the  nearest 
of  the  Mexicans,  who  fell  from  his  saddle,  and  then,  see- 
ing that  but  one  alternative  was  left  him  he  gave  Old 
Jack  the  rein  and  galloped  from  the  grove  into  the  west. 

Amid  all  the  rush  and  terrific  excitement  of  the  mo- 
ment, Ned  thought  of  his  comrades.  It  was  not  possible 
for  him  to  join  them  now,  but  they  were  three  together 
and  they  might  escape.  The  Panther  was  a  wonderful 
borderer,  and  Obed  White  was  not  far  behind  him.  He 
turned  his  attention  to  his  own  escape.  Two  more  shots 
were  fired  at  him,  but  in  both  cases  the  bullets  went  wide. 
Then  he  heard  only  the  thud  of  hoofs,  but  the  pursuing 
horsemen  were  very  near. 

Something  whizzed  through  the  air  and  instinctively 
he  bent  forward  almost  flat  on  the  neck  of  Old  Jack.  A 
coiling  shape  struck  him  on  the  head,  slipped  along  his 
back,  then  along  the  quarters  of  his  horse  and  fell  to  the 
ground.  He  felt  as  if  a  deadly  snake  had  struck  at  him, 
and  then  had  drawn  its  cold  body  across  him.  But  he 


ii6  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

knew  that  it  was  a  lasso.  The  Mexicans  would  wish  to 
take  him  alive,  as  they  might  secure  valuable  information 
from  him.  Now  he  heard  them  shouting  to  one  another, 
every  one  boasting  that  his  would  be  the  successful 
throw.  As  Ned's  rifle  was  empty,  and  he  could  not  re- 
load it  at  such  speed,  they  seemed  to  fear  nothing  for 
themselves. 

He  looked  back.  They  numbered  seven  or  eight,  and 
they  were  certainly  very  near.  They  had  spread  out  a 
little  and  whenever  Old  Jack  veered  a  yard  or  two  from 
the  pursuers  some  one  gained.  He  saw  a  coil  of  rope  fly 
through  the  air  and  he  bent  forward  again.  It  struck 
Old  Jack  on  the  saddle  and  fell  to  the  ground.  Ned 
wondered  why  they  did  not  fire  now,  but  he  remembered 
that  their  rifles  or  muskets,  too,  might  be  empty,  and 
suddenly  he  felt  a  strange  exultation.  He  was  still  lying 
forward  on  his  horse's  neck,  and  now  he  began  to  talk 
to  him. 

"On !  On !  Old  Jack,"  he  said,  "show  'em  the  cleanest 
heels  that  were  ever  seen  in  Texas!  On!  On!  my 
beauty  of  a  horse,  my  jewel  of  a  horse!  Would  you  let 
miserable  Mexican  ponies  overtake  you  ?  You  who  were 
never  beaten!  Ah,  now  we  gain!  But  faster!  faster!" 

It  seemed  that  Old  Jack  understood.  He  stretched  out 
his  long  neck  and  became  a  streak  in  the  darkness.  A 
third  Mexican  threw  his  lasso,  but  the  noose  only  touched 
his  flying  tail.  A  fourth  threw,  and  the  noose  did  not 
reach  him  at  all. 

They  were  far  out  on  the  plain  now,  where  the  moon- 
light revealed  everything,  and  the  horse's  sure  instinct 
would  guide.  Ned  felt  Old  Jack  beneath  him,  running 
strong  and  true  without  a  jar  like  the  most  perfect  piece 
of  machinery.  He  stole  a  glance  over  his  shoulder.  All 
the  Mexicans  were  there,  too  far  away  now  for  a  throw 


\ 

THE   HERALD   OF  ATTACK  117 

of  the  lasso,  but  several  of  them  were  trying  to  reload 
their  weapons.  Ned  knew  that  if  they  succeeded  he 
would  be  in  great  danger.  No  matter  how  badly  they 
shot  a  chance  bullet  might  hit  him  or  his  horse.  And  he 
could  afford  for  neither  himself  nor  Old  Jack  to  be 
wounded. 

Once  more  the  boy  leaned  far  over  on  his  horse's  neck 
and  cried  in  his  ear: 

"On,  Old  Jack,  on !  Look,  we  gain  now,  but  we  must 
gain  more.  Show  to  them  what  a  horse  you  are !" 

And  again  the  great  horse  responded.  Fast  as  he  was 
going  it  seemed  to  Ned  that  he  now  lengthened  his  stride. 
His  long  head  was  thrust  out  almost  straight,  and  his 
great  body  fairly  skimmed  the  earth.  But  the  Mexicans 
hung  on  with  grim  tenacity.  Their  ponies  were  tough 
and  enduring,  and,  spread  out  like  the  arc  of  a  bow,  they 
continually  profited  by  some  divergence  that  Old  Jack 
made  from  the  straight  line.  Aware  of  this  danger  Ned 
himself,  nevertheless,  was  unable  to  tell  whether  the 
horse  was  going  in  a  direct  course,  and  he  let  him  have 
his  head. 

"Crack !"  went  a  musket,  and  a  bullet  sang  past  Ned's 
face.  It  grazed  Old  Jack's  ear,  drawing  blood.  The 
horse  uttered  an  angry  snort  and  fairly  leaped  forward. 
Ned  looked  back  again.  Another  man  had  succeeded  in 
loading  his  musket  and  was  about  to  fire.  Then  the  boy 
remembered  the  pistol  at  his  belt.  Snatching  it  out  he 
fired  at  the  fellow  with  the  loaded  musket. 

The  Mexican  reeled  forward  on  his  horse's  neck  and 
his  weapon  dropped  to  the  ground.  Whether  the  man 
himself  fell  also  Ned  never  knew,  because  he  quickly 
thrust  the  pistol  back  in  his  belt  and  once  more  was  look- 
ing straight  ahead.  Now  confidence  swelled  again  in  his 
heart.  He  had  escaped  all  their  bullets  so  far,  and  he  was 


ii8  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

still  gaining.  He  would  escape  all  the  others  and  he 
would  continue  to  gain. 

He  saw  just  ahead  of  him  one  of  the  clumps  of  trees 
that  dotted  the  plain,  but,  although  it  might  give  mo- 
mentary protection  from  the  bullets  he  was  afraid  to 
gallop  into  it,  lest  he  be  swept  from  his  horse's  back  by 
the  boughs  or  bushes.  But  his  direct  course  would  run 
close  to  the  left  side  of  it,  and  once  more  he  sought  to 
urge  Old  Jack  to  greater  speed. 

The  horse  was  still  running  without  a  jar.  Ned  could 
not  feel  a  single  rough  movement  in  the  perfect  machin- 
ery beneath  him.  Unless  wounded  Old  Jack  would  not 
fail  him.  He  stole  another  of  those  fleeting  glances  back- 
ward. 

Several  of  the  Mexicans,  their  ponies  spent,  were  drop- 
ping out  of  the  race,  but  enough  were  left  to  make  the 
odds  far  too  great.  Ned  now  skimmed  along  the  edge 
of  the  grove,  and  when  he  passed  it  he  turned  his  horse 
a  little,  so  the  trees  were  between  him  and  his  nearest 
pursuers.  Then  he  urged  Old  Jack  to  his  last  ounce 
of  speed.  The  plain  raced  behind  him,  and  fortunate 
clouds,  too,  now  came,  veiling  the  moon  and  turning  the 
dusk  into  deeper  darkness.  Ned  heard  one  disappointed 
cry  behind  him,  and  then  no  sound  but  the  flying  beat  of 
his  own  horse's  hoofs. 

When  he  pulled  rein  and  brought  Old  Jack  to  a  walk 
he  could  see  or  hear  nothing  of  the  Mexicans.  The  great 
horse  was  a  lather  of  foam,  his  sides  heaving  and  pant- 
ing, and  Ned  sprang  to  the  ground.  He  reloaded  his 
rifle  and  pistol  and  then  walked  toward  the  west,  leading 
Old  Jack  by  the  bridle.  He  reckoned  that  the  Mexicans 
would  go  toward  the  north,  thinking  that  he  would  nat- 
urally ride  for  San  Antonio,  and  hence  he  chose  the  op- 
posite direction. 


THE   HERALD   OF   ATTACK  119 

He  walked  a  long  time  and  presently  he  felt  the  horse 
rubbing  his  nose  gently  against  his  arm.  Ned  stroked 
the  soft  muzzle. 

"You've  saved  my  life,  Old  Jack,"  he  said,  "and  not 
for  the  first  time.  You  responded  to  every  call." 

The  horse  whinnied  ever  so  softly,  and  Ned  felt  that 
he  was  not  alone.  Now  he  threw  the  bridle  reins  back 
over  the  horse's  head,  and  then  the  two  walked  on,  side 
by  side,  man  and  beast. 

They  stopped  at  times,  and  it  may  be  that  the  horse  as 
well  as  the  boy  then  looked  and  listened  for  a  foe.  But 
the  Mexicans  had  melted  away  completely  in  the  night. 
It  was  likely  now  that  they  were  going  in  the  opposite 
direction,  and  assured  that  he  was  safe  from  them  for 
the  time  Ned  collapsed,  both  physically  and  mentally. 
Such  tremendous  exertions  and  such  terrible  excitement 
were  bound  to  bring  reaction.  He  began  to  tremble  vio- 
lently, and  he  became  so  weak  that  he  could  scarcely 
stand.  The  horse  seemed  to  be  affected  in  much  the 
same  way  and  walked  slowly  and  painfully. 

Ned  saw  another  little  grove,  and  he  and  the  horse 
walked  straight  toward  it.  It  was  fairly  dense,  and  when 
he  was  in  the  center  of  it  he  wrapped  his  rifle  and  himself 
in  his  scrape  and  lay  down.  The  horse  sank  on  his  side 
near  him.  He  did  not  care  for  anything  now  except  to 
secure  rest.  Mexicans  or  Comanches  or  Lipans  might  be 
on  the  plain  only  a  few  hundred  yards  away.  It  did  not 
matter  to  him.  He  responded  to  no  emotion  save  the 
desire  for  rest,  and  in  five  minutes  he  was  in  a  deep  sleep. 

Ned  slept  until  long  after  daylight.  He  was  so  much 
exhausted  that  he  scarcely  moved  during  all  that  time. 
Nor  did  the  horse.  Old  Jack  had  run  his  good  race  and 
won  the  victory,  and  he,  too,  cared  for  nothing  but  to 
rest. 


120  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

Before  morning  some  Lipan  buffalo  hunters  passed,  but 
they  took  no  notice  of  the  grove  and  soon  disappeared  in 
the  west.  After  the  dawn  a  detachment  of  Mexican 
lancers  riding  to  the  east  to  join  the  force  of  Santa  Anna 
also  passed  the  clump  of  trees,  but  the  horse  and  man  lay 
in  the  densest  part  of  it,  and  no  pair  of  Mexican  eyes  was 
keen  enough  to  see  them  there.  They  were  answering 
the  call  of  Santa  Anna,  and  they  rode  on  at  a  trot,  the 
grove  soon  sinking  out  of  sight  behind  them. 

Ned  was  awakened  at  last  by  the  sun  shining  in  his 
face.  He  stirred,  recalled  in  a  vague  sort  of  way  where 
he  was  and  why  he  was  there,  and  then  rose  slowly  to 
his  feet.  His  joints  were  stiff  like  those  of  an  old  man, 
and  he  rubbed  them  to  acquire  ease.  A  great  bay  horse, 
saddle  on  his  back,  was  searching  here  and  there  for  the 
young  stems  of  grass.  Ned  rubbed  his  eyes.  It  seemed 
to  him  that  he  knew  that  horse.  And  a  fine  big  horse  he 
was,  too,  worth  knowing  and  owning.  Yes,  it  was  Old 
Jack,  the  horse  that  had  carried  him  to  safety. 

His  little  store  of  provisions  was  still  tied  to  the  saddle 
and  he  ate  hungrily.  At  the  end  of  the  grove  was  a  small 
pool  formed  by  the  winter's  rains,  and  though  the  water 
was  far  from  clear  he  drank  his  fill.  He  flexed  and 
tensed  his  muscles  again  until  all  the  stiffness  and  sore- 
ness were  gone.  Then  he  made  ready  for  his  departure. 

He  could  direct  his  course  by  the  sun,  and  he  intended 
to  go  straight  to  San  Antonio.  He  only  hoped  that  he 
might  get  there  before  the  arrival  of  Santa  Anna  and  his 
army.  He  could  not  spare  the  time  to  seek  his  com- 
rades, and  he  felt  much  apprehension  for  them,  but  he 
yet  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  the  skill  of  the  Panther 
and  Obed  White. 

It  was  about  two  hours  before  noon  when  Ned  set  out 
across  the  plain.  Usually  in  this  region  antelope  were  to 


THE   HERALD   OF  ATTACK  121 

be  seen  on  the  horizon,  but  they  were  all  gone  now.  The 
boy  considered  it  a  sure  sign  that  Mexican  detachments 
had  passed  that  way.  It  was  altogether  likely,  too,  so  he 
calculated,  that  the  Mexican  army  was  now  nearer  than 
he  to  San  Antonio.  His  flight  had  taken  him  to  the  west 
while  Santa  Anna  was  moving  straight  toward 
the  Texan  outworks.  But  he  believed  that  by  steady 
riding  he  could  reach  San  Antonio  within  twenty- four 
hours. 

The  afternoon  passed  without  event.  Ned  saw  neither 
human  beings  nor  game  on  the  vast  prairie.  He  had 
hoped  that  by  some  chance  he  might  meet  with  his  com- 
rades, but  there  was  no  sign  of  them,  and  he  fell  back 
on  his  belief  that  their  skill  and  great  courage  had  saved 
them.  Seeking  to  dismiss  them  from  his  thoughts  for 
the  time  in  order  that  he  might  concentrate  all  his  ener- 
gies on  San  Antonio,  he  rode  on.  The  horse  had  recov- 
ered completely  from  his  great  efforts  of  the  preceding 
night,  and  once  more  that  magnificent  piece  of  machinery 
worked  without  a  jar.  Old  Jack  moved  over  the  prairie 
with  long,  easy  strides.  It  seemed  to  Ned  that  he  could 
never  grow  weary.  He  patted  the  sinewy  and  powerful 
neck. 

"Gallant  comrade,"  he  said,  "you  have  done  your  duty 
and  more.  You,  at  least,  will  never  fail." 

Twilight  came  down,  but  Ned  kept  on.  By  and  by 
he  saw  in  the  east,  and  for  the  third  time,  that  fatal  red 
glow  extending  far  along  the  dusky  horizon.  All  that 
he  had  feared  of  Santa  Anna  was  true.  The  dictator  was 
marching  fast,  whipping  his  army  forward  with  the  fierce 
energy  that  was  a  part  of  his  nature.  It  was  likely,  too, 
that  squadrons  of  his  cavalry  were  much  further  on.  A 
daring  leader  like  Urrea  would  certainly  be  miles  ahead 
of  the  main  army,  and  it  was  more  than  probable  that 


122  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

bands  of  Mexican  horsemen  were  now  directly  between 
him  and  San  Antonio. 

Ned  knew  that  he  would  need  all  his  strength  and 
courage  to  finish  his  task.  So  he  gave  Old  Jack  a  little 
rest,  although  he  did  not  seem  to  need  it,  and  drew  once 
more  upon  his  rations. 

When  he  remounted  he  was  conscious  that  the  air  had 
grown  much  colder.  A  chill  wind  began  to  cut  him 
across  the  cheek.  Snow,  rain  and  wind  have  played  a 
great  part  in  the  fate  of  armies,  and  they  had  much  to  do 
with  the  struggle  between  Texas  and  Mexico  in  that 
fateful  February.  Ned's  experience  told  him  that  an- 
other Norther  was  about  to  begin,  and  he  was  glad  of  it. 
One  horseman  could  make  much  greater  progress 
through  it  than  an  army. 

The  wind  rose  fast  and  then  came  hail  and  snow  on 
its  edge.  The  red  glow  in  the  east  disappeared.  But 
Ned  knew  that  it  was  still  there.  The  Norther  had 
merely  drawn  an  icy  veil  between.  He  shivered,  and  the 
horse  under  him  shivered,  too.  Once  more  he  wrapped 
around  his  body  the  grateful  folds  of  the  scrape  and  he 
drew  on  a  pair  of  buckskin  gloves,  a  part  of  his  winter 
equipment. 

Then  he  rode  on  straight  toward  San  Antonio  as 
nearly  as  he  could  calculate.  The  Norther  increased  in 
ferocity.  It  brought  rain,  hail  and  snow,  and  the  night 
darkened  greatly.  Ned  began  to  fear  that  he  would  get 
lost.  It  was  almost  impossible  to  keep  the  true  direction 
in  such  a  driving  storm.  He  had  no  moon  and  stars  to 
guide  him,  and  he  was  compelled  to  rely  wholly  upon  in- 
stinct. Sometimes  he  was  in  woods,  sometimes  upon  the 
plain,  and  once  or  twice  he  crossed  creeks,  the  waters 
of  which  were  swollen  and  muddy. 

The  Norther  was  not  such  a  blessing  after  all.     He 


THE   HERALD   OF   ATTACK  123 

might  be  going  directly  away  from  San  Antonio,  while 
Santa  Anna,  with  innumerable  guides,  would  easily  reach 
there  the  next  day.  He  longed  for  those  faithful  com- 
rades of  his.  The  four  of  them  together  could  surely 
find  a  way  out  of  this. 

He  prayed  now  that  the  Norther  would  cease,  but  his 
prayer  was  of  no  avail.  It  whistled  and  moaned  about 
him,  and  snow  and  hail  were  continually  driven  in  his 
face.  Fortunately  the  brim  of  the  sombrero  protected 
his  eyes.  He  floundered  on  until  midnight.  The  Norther 
was  blowing  as  fiercely  as  ever,  and  he  and  Old  Jack 
were  brought  up  by  a  thicket  too  dense  for  them  to  pene- 
trate. 

Ned  understood  now  that  he  was  lost.  Instinct  had 
failed  absolutely.  Brave  and  resourceful  as  he  was  he 
uttered  a  groan  of  despair.  It  was  torture  to  be  so  near 
the  end  of  his  task  and  then  to  fail.  But  the  despair 
lasted  only  a  moment.  The  courage  of  a  nature  contain- 
ing genuine  greatness  brought  back  hope. 

He  dismounted  and  led  his  horse  around  the  thicket. 
Then  they  came  to  a  part  of  the  woods  which  seemed 
thinner,  and  not  knowing  anything  else  tt  do  he  went 
straight  ahead.  But  he  stopped  abruptly  when  his  feet 
sank  in  soft  mud.  He  saw  directly  before  him  a  stream 
yellow,  swollen  and  flowing  faster  than  usual. 

Ned  knew  that  it  was  the  San  Antonio  River,  and  now 
he  had  a  clue.  By  following  its  banks  he  would  reach  the 
town.  The  way  might  be  long,  but  it  must  inevitably 
lead  him  to  San  Antonio,  and  he  would  take  it. 

He  remounted  and  rode  forward  as  fast  as  he  could. 
The  river  curved  and  twisted,  but  he  was  far  more  cheer- 
ful now.  The  San  Antonio  was  like  a  great  coiling  rope, 
but  if  he  followed  it  long  enough  he  would  certainly  come 
to  the  end  that  he  wished.  The  Norther  continued  to 


124  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

blow.  He  and  his  horse  were  a  huge  moving  shape  of 
white.  Now  and  then  the  snow,  coating  too  thickly  upon 
his  scrape,  fell  in  lumps  to  the  ground,  but  it  was  soon 
coated  anew  and  as  thick  as  ever.  But  whatever  hap- 
pened he  never  let  the  San  Antonio  get  out  of  his  sight. 

He  was  compelled  to  stop  at  last  under  a  thick  cluster 
of  oaks,  where  he  was  somewhat  sheltered  from  the  wind 
and  snow.  Here  he  dismounted  again,  stamped  his  feet 
vigorously  for  warmth  and  also  brushed  the  snow  from 
his  faithful  horse.  Old  Jack,  as  usual,  rubbed  his  nose 
against  the  boy's  arm. 

The  horse  was  a  source  of  great  comfort  and  strength 
to  Ned.  He  always  believed  that  he  would  have  col- 
lapsed without  him.  As  nearly  as  he  could  guess  the 
time  it  was  about  halfway  between  midnight  and  morn- 
ing, and  in  order  to  preserve  his  strength  he  forced  him- 
self to  eat  a  little  more. 

A  half  hour's  rest,  and  remounting  he  resumed  his 
slow  progress  by  the  river.  The  rest  had  been  good  for 
both  his  horse  and  himself,  and  the  blood  felt  warmer 
in  his  veins.  He  moved  for  -some  time  among  trees  and 
thickets  that  lined  the  banks,  and  after  a  while  he  recog- 
nized familiar  ground.  He  had  been  in  some  of  these 
places  in  the  course  of  the  siege  of  San  Antonio,  and  the 
town  could  not  be  far  away. 

It  was  probably  two  hours  before  daylight  when  he 
heard  a  sound  which  was  not  that  of  the  Norther,  a 
sound  which  he  knew  instantly.  It  was  the  dull  clank  of 
bronze  against  bronze.  It  could  be  made  only  by  one 
cannon  striking  against  another.  Then  Santa  Anna,  or 
one  of  his  generals,  despite  the  storm  and  the  night,  was 
advancing  with  his  army,  or  a  pait  of  it.  Ned  shivered, 
and  now  not  from  the  cold. 

The  Texans  did  not  understand  the  fiery  energy  of  this 


THE    HERALD   OF   ATTACK  125 

man.  They  would  learn  of  it  too  late,  unless  he  told 
them,  and  it  might  be  too  late  even  then.  He  pressed  on 
with  as  much  increase  of  speed  as  the  nature  of  the 
ground  would  allow.  In  another  hour  the  snow  and  hail 
ceased,  but  the  wind  still  blew  fiercely,  and  it  remained 
very  cold. 

The  dawn  began  to  show  dimly  through  drifting 
clouds.  Ned  did  not  recall  until  long  afterward  that  it 
was  the  birthday  of  the  great  Washington.  By  a  singu- 
lar coincidence  Santa  Anna  appeared  before  Taylor  with 
a  vastly  superior  force  on  the  same  birthday  eleven  years 
later. 

It  was  a  hidden  sun,  and  the  day  was  bleak  with  clouds 
and  driving  winds.  Nevertheless  the  snow  that  had 
fallen  began  to  disappear.  Ned  and  Old  Jack  still  made 
their  way  forward,  somewhat  slowly  now,  as  they  were 
stiff  and  sore  from  the  long  night's  fight  with  darkness 
and  cold.  On  his  right,  only  a  few  feet  away,  was  the 
swollen  current  of  the  San  Antonio.  The  stream  looked 
deep  to  Ned,  and  it  bore  fragments  of  timber  upon  its 
muddy  bosom.  It  seemed  to  him  that  the  waters  rippled 
angrily  against  the  bank.  His  excited  imagination — and 
full  cause  there  was — gave  a  sinister  meaning  to  every- 
thing. 

A  heavy  fog  began  to  rise  from  the  river  and  wet 
earth.  He  could  not  see  far  in  front  of  him,  but  he  be- 
lieved that  the  town  was  now  only  a  mile  or  two  away. 
Soon  a  low,  heavy  sound,  a  measured  stroke,  came  out  of 
the  fog.  It  was  the  tolling  of  the  church  bell  in  San 
Antonio,  and  for  some  reason  its  impact  upon  Ned's  ear 
was  like  the  stroke  of  death.  A  strange  chilly  sensation 
ran  down  his  spine. 

He  rode  to  the  very  edge  of  the  stream  and  began  to 
examine  it  for  a  possible  ford.  San  Antonio  was  on  the 


126  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

other  side,  and  he  must  cross.  But  everywhere  the  dark, 
swollen  waters  threatened,  and  he  continued  his  course 
along  the  bank. 

A  thick  growth  of  bushes  and  a  high  portion  of  the 
bank  caused  him  presently  to  turn  away  from  the  river 
until  he  could  make  a  curve  about  the  obstacles.  The 
tolling  of  the  bell  had  now  ceased,  and  the  fog  was  lift- 
ing a  little.  Out  of  it  came  only  the  low,  angry  murmur 
of  the  river's  current. 

As  Ned  turned  the  curve  the  wind  grew  much 
stronger.  The  bank  of  fog  was  split  asunder  and  then 
floated  swiftly  away  in  patches  and  streamers.  On  his 
left  beyond  the  river  Ned  saw  the  roofs  of  the  town,  now 
glistening  in  the  clear  morning  air,  and  on  his  right,  only 
lour  or  five  hundred  yards  away,  he  saw  a  numerous 
•".roop  of  Mexican  cavalry.  In  the  figure  at  the  head  of 
the  horsemen  he  was  sure  that  he  recognized  Urrea. 

Ned's  first  emotion  was  a  terrible  sinking  of  the  heart. 
After  all  that  he  had  done,  after  all  his  great  journeys, 
hardships  and  dangers,  he  was  to  fail  with  the  towers 
and  roofs  of  San  Antonio  in  sight.  It  was  the  triumph- 
ant cry  of  the  Mexicans  that  startled  him  into  life  again. 
They  had  seen  the  lone  horseman  by  the  river  and  they 
galloped  at  once  toward  him.  Ned  had  made  no  mistake. 
It  was  Urrea,  pressing  forward  ahead  of  the  army,  who 
led  the  troop,  and  it  may  be  that  he  recognized  the  boy 
also. 

With  the  cry  of  the  Mexicans  ringing  in  his  ears,  the 
boy  shouted  to  Old  Jack.  The  good  horse,  as  always, 
made  instant  response,  and  began  to  race  along  the  side 
of  the  river.  But  even  his  mighty  frame  had  been  weak- 
ened by  so  much  strain.  Ned  noticed  at  once  that  the 
machinery  jarred.  The  great  horse  was  laboring  hard 
and  the  Mexican  cavalry,  comparatively  fresh,  was  com- 


THE   HERALD   OF  ATTACK  127 

ing  on  fast.  It  was  evident  that  he  would  soon  be  over- 
taken, and  so  sure  were  the  Mexicans  of  it  that  they  did 
not  fire. 

There  were  deep  reserves  of  courage  and  fortitude  in 
this  boy,  deeper  than  even  he  himself  suspected.  When 
he  saw  that  he  could  not  escape  by  speed,  the  way  out 
flashed  upon  him.  To  think  was  to  do.  He  turned  his 
horse  without  hesitation  and  urged  him  forward  with  a 
mighty  cry. 

Never  had  Old  Jack  made  a  more  magnificent  re- 
sponse. Ned  felt  the  mighty  mass  of  bone  and  muscle 
gather  in  a  bunch  beneath  him.  Then,  ready  to  expand 
again  with  violent  energy,  it  was  released  as  if  by  the 
touch  of  a  spring.  The  horse  sprang  from  the  high  bank 
far  out  into  the  deep  river. 

Ned  felt  his  scrape  fly  from  him  and  his  rifle  dropped 
from  his  hand.  Then  the  yellow  waters  closed  over  both 
him  and  Old  Jack.  They  came  up  again,  Ned  still  on  the 
horse's  back,  but  with  an  icy  chill  through  all  his  veins. 
He  could  not  see  for  a  moment  or  two,  as  the  water  was 
in  his  eyes,  but  he  heard  dimly  the  shouts  of  the  Mex- 
icans and  several  shots.  Two  or  three  bullets  splashed 
the  water  around  him  and  another  struck  his  sombrero, 
which  was  floating  away  on  the  surface  of  the  stream. 

The  horse,  turning  somewhat,  swam  powerfully  in  a 
diagonal  course  across  the  stream.  Ned,  dazed  for  the 
moment  by  the  shock  of  the  plunge  from  a  height  into 
the  water,  clung  tightly  to  his  back.  He  sat  erect  at  first, 
and  then  remembering  that  he  must  evade  the  bullets 
leaned  forward  with  the  horse's  neck  between  him  and 
the  Mexicans. 

More  shots  were  fired,  but  again  he  was  untouched, 
and  then  the  horse  was  feeling  with  his  forefeet  in  the 
muddy  bank  for  a  hold.  The  next  instant,  with  a  power- 


128  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

ful  effort,  he  pulled  himself  upon  the  shore.  The  violent 
shock  nearly  threw  Ned  from  his  back,  but  the  boy 
seized  his  mane  and  hung  on. 

The  Mexicans  shouted  and  fired  anew,  but  Ned,  now 
sitting  erect,  raced  for  San  Antonio,  only  a  mile  away. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
IN  THE  ALAMO 

MOST  of  the  people  in  San  Antonio  were  asleep 
when  the  dripping  figure  of  a  half  unconscious 
boy  on  a  great  horse  galloped  toward  them  in 
that  momentous  dawn.  He  was  without  hat  or  scrape. 
He  was  bareheaded  and  his  rifle  was  gone.  He  was 
shouting  "Up !  Up !  Santa  Anna  and  the  Mexican  army 
are  at  hand !"  But  his  voice  was  so  choked  and  hoarse 
that  he  could  not  be  heard  a  hundred  feet  away. 

Davy  Crockett,  James  Bowie  and  a  third  man  were 
standing  in  the  Main  Plaza.  The  third  man,  like  the 
other  two,  was  of  commanding  proportions.  He  was  a 
full  six  feet  in  height,  very  erect  and  muscular,  and  with 
full  face  and  red  hair.  He  was  younger  than  the  others, 
not  more  than  twenty-eight,  but  he  was  Colonel  William 
Barrett  Travis,  a  North  Carolina  lawyer,  who  was  now 
in  command  of  the  few  Texans  in  San  Antonio. 

The  three  men  were  talking  very  anxiously.  Crockett 
had  brought  word  that  the  army  of  Santa  Anna  was  on 
the  Texan  side  of  the  Rio  Grande,  but  it  had  seemed  im- 
possible to  rouse  the  Texans  to  a  full  sense  of  the  im- 
pending danger.  Many  remained  at  their  homes  follow- 
ing their  usual  vocations.  Mr.  Austin  was  away  in  the 
states  trying  to  raise  money.  Dissensions  were  numerous 
in  the  councils  of  the  new  government,  and  the  leaders 
could  agree  upon  nothing. 

Travis,  Bowie  and  Crockett  were  aware  of  the  great 
129 


130  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

danger,  but  even  they  did  not  believe  it  was  so  near. 
Nevertheless  they  were  full  of  anxiety.  Crockett,  just 
come  to  Texas,  took  no  command  and  sought  to  keep  in 
the  background,  but  he  was  too  famous  and  experienced 
a  man  not  to  be  taken  at  once  by  Travis  and  Bowie  into 
their  councils.  They  were  discussing  now  the  possibility 
of  getting  help. 

"We  might  send  messengers  to  the  towns  further 
east,"  said  Travis,  "and  at  least  get  a  few  men  here  in 
time." 

"We  need  a  good  many,"  said  Bowie.  "According  to 
Mr.  Crockett  the  Mexican  army  is  large,  and  the  popu- 
lation here  is  unfriendly." 

"That  is  so,"  said  Travis,  "and  we  have  women  and 
children  of  our  own  to  protect." 

It  was  when  he  spoke  the  last  words  that  they  heard 
the  clatter  of  hoofs  and  saw  Ned  dashing  down  the  nar- 
row street  toward  the  Main  Plaza.  They  heard  him  try- 
ing to  shout,  but  his  voice  was  now  so  hoarse  that  he 
could  not  be  understood. 

But  Ned,  though  growing  weaker  fast,  knew  two  of 
the  men.  He  could  never  forget  the  fair-haired  Bowie 
nor  the  swarthy  Crockett,  and  he  galloped  straight 
toward  them.  Then  he  pulled  up  his  horse  and  half  fell, 
half  leaped  to  the  ground.  Holding  by  Old  Jack's  mane 
he  pulled  himself  into  an  erect  position.  He  was  a  singu- 
lar sight.  The  water  still  fell  from  his  wet  hair  and 
dripped  from  his  clothing.  His  face  was  plastered  with 
mud. 

"Santa  Anna's  army,  five  thousand  strong,  is  not  two 
miles  away!"  he  said.  "I  tell  you  because  I  have  seen 
it!" 

"Good  God !"  cried  Bowie.  "It's  the  boy,  Ned  Fulton. 
I  know  him  well.  What  he  says  must  be  truth." 


IN   THE   ALAMO  131 

"It  is  every  word  truth!"  croaked  Ned.  "I  was  pur- 
sued by  their  vanguard !  My  horse  swam  the  river  with 
me !  Up !  Up !  for  Texas !" 

Then  he  fainted  dead  away.  Bowie  seized  him  in  his 
powerful  arms  and  carried  him  into  one  of  the  houses 
occupied  by  the  Texans,  where  men  stripped  him  of  his 
wet  clothing  and  gave  him  restoratives.  But  Bowie  him- 
self hurried  out  into  the  Main  Plaza.  He  had  the  most 
unlimited  confidence  in  Ned's  word  and  so  had  Crockett. 
They  and  Travis  at  once  began  to  arrange  the  little  gar- 
rison for  defence. 

Many  of  the  Texans  even  yet  would  not  believe.  So 
great  had  been  their  confidence  that  they  had  sent  out  no 
scouting  parties.  Only  a  day  or  two  before  they  had 
been  enjoying  themselves  at  a  great  dance.  The  boy 
who  had  come  with  the  news  that  Santa  Anna  was  at 
hand  must  be  distraught.  Certainly  he  had  looked  like 
a  maniac. 

A  loud  cry  suddenly  came  from  the  roof  of  the  church 
of  San  Fernando.  Two  sentinels  posted  there  had  seen 
the  edge  of  a  great  army  appear  upon  the  plain  and  then 
spread  rapidly  over  it.  Santa  Anna's  army  had  come. 
The  mad  boy  was  right.  Two  horsemen  sent  out  to  re- 
connoiter  had  to  race  back  for  their  lives.  The  flooded 
stream  was  now  subsiding  and  only  the  depth  of  the 
water  in  the  night  had  kept  the  Mexicans  from  taking 
cannon  across  and  attacking. 

Ned's  faint  was  short.  He  remembered  putting  on 
clothing,  securing  a  rifle  and  ammunition,  and  then  he 
ran  out  into  the  square.  From  many  windows  he  saw 
the  triumphant  faces  of  Mexicans  looking  out,  but  he 
paid  no  attention  to  them.  He  thought  alone  of  the 
Texans,  who  were  now  displaying  the  greatest  energy. 
In  the  face  of  the  imminent  and  deadly  peril  Travis, 


132  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

Crockett,  Bowie  and  the  others  were  cool  and  were  act- 
ing with  rapidity.  The  order  was  swiftly  given  to  cross 
to  the  Alamo,  the  old  mission  built  like  a  fortress,  and 
the  Texans  were  gathering  in  a  body.  Ned  saw  a  young 
lieutenant  named  Dickinson  catch  up  his  wife  and  child 
on  a  horse,  and  join  the  group  of  men.  All  the  Texans 
had  their  long  rifles,  and  there  were  also  cannon. 

As  Ned  took  his  place  with  the  others  a  kindly  hand 
fell  upon  his  shoulder  and  a  voice  spoke  in  his  ear. 

"I  was  going  to  send  for  you,  Ned,"  said  Bowie,  "but 
you've  come.  Perhaps  it  would  have  been  better  for 
you,  though,  if  you  had  been  left  in  San  Antonio." 

"Oh,  no,  Mr.  Bowie!"  cried  Ned.  "Don't  say  that. 
We  can  beat  off  any  number  of  Mexicans !" 

Bowie  said  nothing  more.  Much  of  Ned's  courage 
and  spirit  returned,  but  he  saw  how  pitifully  small  their 
numbers  were.  The  little  band  that  defiled  across  the 
plain  toward  the  Alamo  numbered  less  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty  men,  and  many  of  them  were  without  experi- 
ence. 

They  were  not  far  upon  the  plain  when  Ned  saw  a 
great  figure  coming  toward  him.  It  was  Old  Jack,  who 
had  been  forgotten  in  the  haste  and  excitement.  The 
saddle  was  still  on  his  back  and  his  bridle  trailed  on  the 
ground.  Ned  met  him  and  patted  his  faithful  head.  Al- 
ready he  had  taken  his  resolution.  There  would  be  no 
place  for  Old  Jack  in  the  Alamo,  but  this  good  friend  of 
his  should  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Mexicans. 

He  slipped  off  saddle  and  bridle,  struck  him  smartly 
on  the  shoulder  and  exclaimed: 

"Good-by,  Old  Jack,  good-by !  Keep  away  from  our 
enemies  and  wait  for  me." 

The  horse  looked  a  moment  at  his  master,  and,  to 
Ned's  excited  eyes,  it  seemed  for  a  moment  that  he 


IN   THE   ALAMO  133 

wished  to  speak.  Old  Jack  had  never  before  been  dis- 
missed in  this  manner.  Ned  struck  him  again  and  yet 
more  sharply. 

"Go,  old  friend !"  he  cried. 

The  good  horse  trotted  away  across  the  plain.  Once 
he  looked  back  as  if  in  reproach,  but  as  Ned  did  not  call 
him  he  kept  on  and  disappeared  over  a  swell.  It  was  to 
Ned  like  the  passing  of  a  friend,  but  he  knew  that  Old 
Jack  would  not  allow  the  Mexicans  to  take  him.  He 
would  fight  with  both  teeth  and  hoofs  against  any  such 
ignominious  capture. 

Then  Ned  turned  his  attention  to  the  retreat.  It  was 
a  little  band  that  went  toward  the  Alamo,  and  there  were 
three  women  and  three  children  in  it,  but  since  they  knew 
definitely  that  Santa  Anna  and  his  great  army  had  come 
there  was  not  a  Texan  who  shrank  from  his  duty.  They 
had  been  lax  in  their  watch  and  careless  of  the  future, 
faults  frequent  in  irregular  troops,  but  in  the  presence 
of  overwhelming  danger  they  showed  not  the  least  fear 
of  death. 

They  reached  the  Alamo  side  of  the  river.  Before 
them  they  saw  the  hewn  stone  walls  of  the  mission  ris- 
ing up  in  the  form  of  a  cross  and  facing  the  river  and  the 
town.  It  certainly  seemed  welcome  to  a  little  band  of 
desperate  men  who  were  going  to  fight  against  over- 
whelming odds.  Ned  also  saw  not  far  away  the  Mexican 
cavalry  advancing  in  masses.  The  foremost  groups 
were  lancers,  and  the  sun  glittered  on  the  blades  of  their 
long  weapons. 

Ned  believed  that  Urrea  was  somewhere  in  one  of 
these  leading  groups.  Urrea  he  knew  was  full  of  skill 
and  enterprise,  but  his  heart  filled  with  bitterness  against 
him.  He  had  tasted  the  Texan  salt,  he  had  broken  bread 
with  those  faithful  friends  of  his,  the  Panther  and  Obed 


134  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

White,  and  now  he  was  at  Santa  Anna's  right  hand,  seek- 
ing to  destroy  the  Texans  utterly. 

"Looks  as  if  I'd  have  a  lot  of  use  for  Old  Betsy,"  said 
a  whimsical  voice  beside  him.  "Somebody  said  when  I 
started  away  from  Tennessee  that  I'd  have  nothing  to  do 
with  it,  might  as  well  leave  my  rifle  at  home.  But  I  'low 
that  Old  Betsy  is  the  most  useful  friend  I  could  have  just 
now." 

It  was,  of  course,  Davy  Crockett  who  spoke.  He  was 
as  cool  as  a  cake  of  ice.  Old  Betsy  rested  in  the  hollow 
of  his  arm,  the  long  barrel  projecting  several  feet.  His 
raccoon  skin  cap  was  on  the  back  of  his  head.  His  whole 
manner  was  that  of  one  who  was  in  the  first  stage  of  a 
most  interesting  event.  But  as  Ned  was  looking  at  him 
a  light  suddenly  leaped  in  the  calm  eye. 

"Look  there !  look  there !"  said  Davy  Crockett,  point- 
ing a  long  finger.  "We'll  need  food  in  that  Alamo  place, 
an'  behold  it  on  the  hoof!" 

About  forty  cattle  had  been  grazing  on  the  plain.  They 
had  suddenly  gathered  in  a  bunch,  startled  by  the  appear- 
ance of  so  many  people,  and  of  galloping  horsemen. 

"We'll  take  'em  with  us!  We'll  need  'em!  Say  we 
can  do  it,  Colonel !"  shouted  Crockett  to  Travis. 

Travis  nodded. 

"Come  on,  Ned,"  cried  Crockett,  "an'  come  on  the  rest 
of  you  fleet-footed  fellows !  Every  mother's  son  of  you 
has  driv'  the  cows  home  before  in  his  time,  an'  now  you 
kin  do  it  again !" 

A  dozen  swift  Texans  ran  forward  with  shouts,  Ned 
and  Davy  Crockett  at  their  head.  Crockett  was  right. 
This  was  work  that  every  one  of  them  knew  how  to  do. 
In  a  flash  they  were  driving  the  whole  frightened  herd  in 
a  run  toward  the  gate  that  led  into  the  great  plaza  of  the 
Alamo.  The  swift  motion,  the  sense  of  success  in  a 


IN   THE   ALAMO  135 

sudden  maneuver,  thrilled  Ned.  He  shouted  at  the  cattle 
as  he  would  have  done  when  he  was  a  small  boy. 

They  were  near  the  gate  when  he  heard  an  ominous 
sound  by  his  side.  It  was  the  cocking  of  Davy  Crockett's 
rifle,  and  when  he  looked  around  he  saw  that  Old  Betsy 
was  leveled,  and  that  the  sure  eye  of  the  Tennessean 
was  looking  down  the  sights. 

Some  of  the  Mexican  skirmishers  seeing  the  capture  of 
the  herd  by  the  daring  Texans  were  galloping  forward 
to  check  it.  Crockett's  finger  pressed  the  trigger.  Old 
Betsy  flashed  and  the  foremost  rider  fell  to  the  ground. 

"I  told  that  Mexican  to  come  down  off  his  horse,  and 
he  came  down,"  chuckled  Crockett. 

The  Mexicans  drew  back,  because  other  Texan  rifles, 
weapons  that  they  had  learned  to  dread,  were  raised.  A 
second  body  of  horsemen  charged  from  a  different  angle, 
and  Ned  distinctly  saw  Urrea  at  their  head.  He  fired, 
but  the  bullet  missed  the  partisan  leader  and  brought 
down  another  man  behind  him. 

"There  are  good  pickings  here,"  said  Davy  Crockett, 
"but  they'll  soon  be  too  many  for  us.  Come  on,  Ned, 
boy !  Our  place  is  behind  them  walls !" 

"Yes,"  repeated  Bowie,  who  was  near.  "It's  the 
Alamo  or  nothing.  No  matter  how  fast  we  fired  our 
rifles  we'd  soon  be  trod  under  foot  by  the  Mexicans." 

They  passed  in,  Bowie,  Crockett  and  Ned  forming  the 
rear  guard.  The  great  gates  of  the  Alamo  were  closed 
behind  them  and  barred.  For  the  moment  they  were 
safe,  because  these  doors  were  made  of  very  heavy 
oak,  and  it  would  require  immense  force  to  batter  them 
in.  It  was  evident  that  the  Mexican  horsemen  on  the 
plain  did  not  intend  to  make  any  such  attempt,  as  they 
drew  off  hastily,  knowing  that  the  deadly  Texan  rifles 
would  man  the  walls  at  once. 


136  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

"Well,  here  we  are,  Ned,"  said  the  cheerful  voice  of 
Davy  Crockett,  "an'  if  we  want  to  win  glory  in  fightin' 
it  seems  that  we've  got  the  biggest  chance  that  was  ever 
offered  to  anybody.  I  guess  when  old  Santa  Anna  comes 
up  he'll  say:  'By  nations  right  wheel;  forward  march 
the  world.'  Still  these  walls  will  help  a  little  to  make  up 
the  difference  between  fifty  to  one." 

As  he  spoke  he  tapped  the  outer  wall. 

"No  Mexican  on  earth,"  he  said,  "has  got  a  tough 
enough  head  to  butt  through  that.  At  least  I  think  so. 
Now  what  do  you  think,  Ned?" 

His  tone  was  so  whimsical  that  Ned  was  compelled  to 
laugh  despite  their  terrible  situation. 

"It's  a  pity,  though,"  continued  Crockett,  "that  we've 
got  such  a  big  place  here  to  defend.  Sometimes  you're 
the  stronger  the  less  ground  you  spread  over." 

Ned  glanced  around.  He  had  paid  the  Alamo  one 
hasty  yisit  just  after  the  capture  of  San  Antonio  by  the 
Texans,  but  he  took  only  a  vague  look  then.  Now  it  was 
to  make  upon  his  brain  a  photograph  which  nothing  could 
remove  as  long  as  he  lived. 

He  saw  in  a  few  minutes  all  the  details  of  the  Alamo. 
He  knew  already  its  history.  This  mission  of  deathless 
fame  was  even  then  more  than  a  century  old.  Its  name, 
the  Alamo,  signified  "the  Cottonwood  tree,"  but  that  has 
long  since  been  lost  in  another  of  imperishable  grandeur. 

The  buildings  of  the  mission  were  numerous,  the  whole 
arranged,  according  to  custom,  in  the  form  of  a  cross. 
The  church,  which  was  now  without  a  roof,  faced  town 
and  river,  but  it  contained  arched  rooms,  and  the  sac- 
risty had  a  solid  roof  of  masonry.  The  windows,  cut  for 
the  needs  of  an  earlier  time,  were  high  and  narrow,  in 
order  that  attacking  Indians  might  not  pour  in  flights 
of  arrows  upon  those  who  should  be  worshipping  there. 


IN   THE   ALAMO  137 

Over  the  heavy  oaken  doors  were  images  and  carvings 
in  stone  worn  by  time. 

To  the  left  of  the  church,  beside  the  wing  of  the  cross, 
was  the  plaza  of  the  convent,  about  thirty  yards  square, 
with  its  separate  walls  more  than  fifteen  feet  high  and 
nearly  four  feet  thick. 

Ned  noted  all  these  things  rapidly  and  ineffaceably,  as 
he  and  Crockett  took  a  swift  but  complete  survey  of 
their  fortress.  He  saw  that  the  convent  and  hospital, 
each  two  stories  in  height,  were  made  of  adobe  bricks, 
and  he  also  noticed  a  sallyport,  protected  by  a  little  re- 
doubt, at  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  yard. 

They  saw  belond  the  convent  yard  the  great  plaza 
into  which  they  had  driven  the  cattle,  a  parallelogram 
covering  nearly  three  acres,  inclosed  by  a  wall  eight  feet 
in  height  and  three  feet  thick.  Prisons,  barracks  and 
other  buildings  were  scattered  about.  Beyond  the  walls 
was  a  small  group  of  wretched  jacals  or  huts  in  which 
some  Mexicans  lived.  Water  from  the  San  Antonio 
flowed  in  ditches  through  the  mission. 

It  was  almost  a  town  that  they  were  called  upon  to 
defend,  and  Ned  and  Crockett,  after  their  hasty  look, 
came  back  to  the  church,  the  strongest  of  all  the  build- 
ings, with  walls  of  hewn  stone  five  feet  thick  and  nearly 
twenty-five  feet  high.  They  opened  the  heavy  oaken 
doors,  entered  the  building  and  looked  up  through  the 
open  roof  at  the  sky.  Then  Crockett's  eyes  came  back 
to  the  arched  rooms  and  the  covered  sacristy. 

"This  is  the  real  fort,"  he  said,  "an'  we'll  put  our  gun- 
powder in  that  sacristy.  It  looks  like  sacrilege  to  use 
a  church  for  such  a  purpose,  but,  Ned,  times  are  goin' 
to  be  very  hot  here,  the  hottest  we  ever  saw,  an'  we  must 
protect  our  powder." 

He  carried  his  suggestion  to  Travis,  who  adopted  it 


138  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

at  once,  and  the  powder  was  quickly  taken  into  the 
rooms.  They  also  had  fourteen  pieces  of  cannon  which 
they  mounted  on  the  walls  of  the  church,  at  the  stockade 
at  the  entrance  to  the  plaza  and  at  the  redoubt.  But  the 
Texans,  frontiersmen  and  not  regular  soldiers,  did  not 
place  much  reliance  upon  the  cannon.  Their  favorite 
weapon  was  the  rifle,  with  which  they  rarely  missed  even 
at  long  range. 

It  took  the  Texans  but  little  time  to  arrange  the  de- 
fence, and  then  came  a  pause.  Ned  did  not  have  any 
particular  duty  assigned  to  him,  and  went  back  to 
the  church,  which  now  bore  so  little  resemblance  to  a 
house  of  worship.  He  gazed  curiously  at  the  battered 
carvings  and  images  over  the  door.  They  looked 
almost  grotesque  to  him  now,  and  some  of  them 
threatened. 

He  went  inside  the  church  and  looked  around  once 
more.  It  was  old,  very  old.  The  grayness  of  age  showed 
everywhere,  and  the  silence  of  the  defenders  on  the  walls 
deepened  its  ancient  aspect.  But  the  Norther  had  ceased 
to  blow,  and  the  sun  came  down,  bright  and  unclouded, 
through  the  open  roof. 

Ned  climbed  upon  the  wall.  Bowie,  who  was  behind 
one  of  the  cannon,  beckoned  to  him.  Ned  joined  him 
and  leaned  upon  the  gun  as  Bowie  pointed  toward  San 
Antonio. 

"See  the  Mexican  masses,"  he  said.  "Ned,  you  were 
a  most  timely  herald.  If  it  had  not  been  for  you  our  sur- 
prise would  have  been  total.  Look  how  they  defile  upon 
the  plain." 

The  army  of  Santa  Anna  was  entering  San  Antonio 
and  it  was  spread  out  far  and  wide.  The  sun  glittered 
on  lances  and  rifles,  and  brightened  the  bronze  barrels 
of  cannon.  The  triumphant  notes  of  a  bugle  came  across 


IN   THE   ALAMO  139 

the  intervening  space,  and  when  the  bugle  ceased  a  Mexi- 
can band  began  to  play. 

It  was  fine  music.  The  Mexicans  had  the  Latin  ear, 
the  gift  for  melody,  and  the  air  they  played  was  martial 
and  inspiring.  One  could  march  readily  to  its  beat. 
Bowie  frowned. 

"They  think  it  nothing  more  than  a  parade,"  he  said. 
"But  when  Santa  Anna  has  taken  us  he  will  need  a  new 
census  of  his  army." 

He  looked  around  at  the  strong  stone  walls,  and  then 
at  the  resolute  faces  of  the  men  near  him.  But  the  gar- 
rison was  small,  pitifully  small. 

Ned  left  the  walls  and  ate  a  little  food  that  was  cooked 
over  a  fire  lighted  in  the  convent  plaza.  Then  he  wan- 
dered about  the  place  looking  at  the  buildings  and  in- 
closures.  The  Alamo  was  so  extensive  that  he  knew 
Travis  would  be  compelled  to  concentrate  his  defense 
about  the  church,  but  he  wanted  to  examine  all  these 
places  anyhow. 

He  wandered  into  one  building  that  looked  like  a  store- 
house. The  interior  was  dry  and  dusty.  Cobwebs  hung 
from  the  walls,  and  it  was  empty  save  for  many  old 
barrels  that  stood  in  the  corner.  Ned  looked  casually 
into  the  barrels  and  then  he  uttered  a  shout  of  joy.  A 
score  of  so  of  them  were  full  of  shelled  Indian  corn  in 
perfect  condition,  a  hundred  bushels  at  least.  This  was 
truly  treasure  trove,  more  valuable  than  if  the  barrels 
had  been  filled  with  coined  gold. 

He  ran  out  of  the  house  and  the  first  man  he  met  was 
Davy  Crockett. 

"Now  what  has  disturbed  you?"  asked  Crockett,  in  his 
drawling  tone.  "Haven't  you  seen  Mexicans  enough  for 
one  day  ?  '  This  ain't  the  time  to  see  double." 

"I  wish  I  could  see  double  in  this  case,  Mr.  Crockett," 


I4o  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

replied  Ned,  "because  then  the  twenty  barrels  of  corn 
that  I've  found  would  be  forty." 

He  took  Crockett  triumphantly  into  the  building  and 
showed  him  the  treasure,  which  was  soon  transferred  to 
one  of  the  arched  rooms  beside  the  entrance  of  the 
church.  It  was  in  truth  one  of  the  luckiest  finds  ever 
made.  The  cattle  in  the  plaza  would  furnish  meat  for  a 
long  time,  but  they  would  need  bread  also.  Again  Ned 
felt  that  pleasant  glow  of  triumph.  It  seemed  that  for- 
tune was  aiding  them. 

He  went  outside  and  stood  by  the  ditch  which  led  a 
shallow  stream  of  water  along  the  eastern  side  of  the 
church.  It  was  greenish  in  tint,  but  it  was  water,  water 
which  would  keep  the  life  in  their  bodies  while  they 
fought  off  the  hosts  of  Santa  Anna. 

The  sun  was  now  past  the  zenith,  and  since  the  Norther 
had  ceased  to  blow  there  was  a  spring  warmth  in  the 
air.  Ned,  conscious  now  that  he  was  stained  with  the 
dirt  and  dust  of  flight  and  haste,  bathed  his  face  and 
hands  in  the  water  of  the  ditch  and  combed  his  thick 
brown  hair  as  well  as  he  could  with  his  fingers. 

"Good  work,  my  lad,"  said  a  hearty  voice  beside  him. 
"It  shows  that  you  have  a  cool  brain  and  an  orderly 
mind." 

Davy  Crockett,  who  was  always  neat,  also  bathed  his 
own  face  and  hands  in  the  ditch. 

"Now  I  feel  a  lot  better,"  he  said,  "and  I  want  to  tell 
you,  Ned,  that  it's  lucky  the  Spanish  built  so  massively. 
Look  at  this  church.  It's  got  walls  of  hewn  stone,  five 
feet  through,  an'  back  in  Tennessee  we  build  'em  of 
planks  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick.  Why,  these  walls 
would  turn  the  biggest  cannon  balls." 

"It  surely  is  mighty  lucky,"  said  Ned.  "What  are  you 
going  to  do  next,  Mr.  Crockett?" 


IN   THE   ALAMO  141 

"I  don't  know.  I  guess  we'll  wait  on  the  Mexicans  to 
open  the  battle.  Thar,  do  you  hear  that  trumpet  blowin' 
ag'in?  I  reckon  it  means  that  they're  up  to  somethin'." 

"I  think  so,  too,"  said  Ned.  "Let's  go  back  upon  the 
church  walls,  Air.  Crockett,  and  see  for  ourselves  just 
what  it  means." 

The  two  climbed  upon  the  great  stone  wall,  which  was 
in  reality  a  parapet.  Travis  and  Bowie,  who  was  second 
in  command,  were  there  already.  Ned  looked  toward 
San  Antonio,  and  he  saw  Mexicans  everywhere.  Mexi- 
can flags  hoisted  by  the  people  were  floating  from  the 
flat  roofs  of  the  houses,  signs  of  their  exultation  at  the 
coming  of  Santa  Anna  and  the  expulsion  of  the  Texans. 

The  trumpet  sounded  again  and  they  saw  three  officers 
detach  themselves  from  the  Mexican  lines  and  ride  for- 
ward under  a  white  flag.  Ned  knew  that  one  of  them 
was  the  young  Urrea. 

"Now  what  in  thunder  can  they  want  ?"  growled  Davy 
Crockett.  "There  can  be  no  talk  or  truce  between  us  an' 
Santa  Anna.  If  all  that  I've  heard  of  him  is  true  I'd 
never  believe  a  word  he  says." 

Travis  called  two  of  his  officers,  Major  Morris  and 
Captain  Martin,  and  directed  them  to  go  out  and  see 
what  the  Mexicans  wanted.  Then,  meeting  Ned's  eye, 
he  recalled  something. 

"Ah,  you  speak  Spanish  and  Mexican  Spanish  per- 
fectly," he  said.  "Will  you  go  along,  too?" 

"Gladly,"  said  Ned. 

"An',  Ned,"  said  Davy  Crockett,  in  his  whimsical  tone, 
"if  you  don't  tell  me  every  word  they  said  when  you  come 
back  I'll  keep  you  on  bread  an'  water  for  a  week.  There 
are  to  be  no  secrets  here  from  me." 

"I  promise,  Mr.  Crockett,"  said  Ned. 

The  heavy  oaken   doors  were  thrown  open  and  the 


142  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

three  went  out  on  foot  to  meet  the  Mexican  officers  who 
were  riding  slowly  forward.  The  afternoon  air  was  now 
soft  and  pleasant,  and  a  light,  soothing  wind  was  blowing 
from  the  south.  The  sky  was  a  vast  dome  of  brilliant 
blue  and  gold.  It  was  a  picture  that  remained  indelibly 
on  Ned's  mind  like  many  others  that  were  to  come.  They 
were  etched  in  so  deeply  that  neither  the  colors  nor  the 
order  of  their  occurrence  ever  changed.  An  odor,  a 
touch,  or  anything  suggestive  would  make  them  return 
to  his  mind,  unfaded  and  in  proper  sequence  like  the 
passing  of  moving  pictures. 

The  Mexicans  halted  in  the  middle  of  the  plain  and  the 
three  Texans  met  them.  The  Mexicans  did  not  dis- 
mount. Urrea  was  slightly  in  advance  of  the  other  two, 
who  were  older  men  in  brilliant  uniforms,  generals  at 
least.  Ned  saw  at  once  that  they  meant  to  be  haughty 
and  arrogant  to  the  last  degree.  They  showed  it  in  the 
first  instance  by  not  dismounting.  It  was  evident  that 
Urrea  would  be  the  chief  spokesman,  and  his  manner 
indicated  that  it  was  a  part  he  liked.  He,  too,  was  in  a 
fine  uniform,  irreproachably  neat,  and  his  handsome  olive 
face  was  flushed. 

"And  so,"  he  said,  in  an  undertone  and  in  Spanish  to 
Ned,  "we  are  here  face  to  face  again.  You  have  chosen 
your  own  trap,  the  Alamo,  and  it  is  not  in  human  power 
for  you  to  escape  it  now." 

His  taunt  stung,  but  Ned  merely  replied: 

"We  shall  see." 

Then  Urrea  said  aloud,  speaking  in  English,  and  ad- 
dressing himself  to  the  two  officers : 

"We  have  come  by  order  of  General  Santa  Anna, 
President  of  Mexico  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  her 
officers,  to  make  a  demand  of  you." 

"A  conference  must  proceed  on  the  assumption  that 


IN   THE   ALAMO  143 

the  two  parties  to  it  are  on  equal  terms,"  said  Major 
Morris,  in  civil  tones. 

"Under  ordinary  circumstances,  yes,"  said  Urrea,  with- 
out abating  his  haughty  manner  one  whit,  "but  this  is  a 
demand  by  a  paramount  authority  upon  rebels  and 
traitors." 

He  paused  that  his  words  might  sink  home.  All  three 
of  the  Texans  felt  anger  leap  in  their  hearts,  but  they  put 
restraint  upon  their  words. 

"What  is  it  that  you  wish  to  say  to  us?"  continued 
Major  Morris.  "If  it  is  anything  we  should  hear  we  are 
listening." 

Urrea  could  not  subdue  his  love  of  the  grandiose  and 
theatrical. 

"As  you  may  see  for  yourselves,"  he  said,  "General 
Santa  Anna  has  returned  to  Texas  with  an  overpowering 
force  of  brave  Mexican  troops.  San  Antonio  has  fallen 
into  his  hands  without  a  struggle.  He  can  take  the 
Alamo  in  a  day.  In  a  month  not  a  man  will  be  left  in 
Texas  able  to  dispute  his  authority." 

"These  are  statements  most  of  which  can  be  dis- 
puted," said  Major  Morris.  "What  does  General  Santa 
Anna  demand  of  us?" 

His  quiet  manner  had  its  effect  upon  Urrea. 

"He  demands  your  unconditional  surrender,"  he  said. 

"And  does  he  say  nothing  about  our  lives  and  good 
treatment?"  continued  the  Major,  in  the  same  quiet 
tones. 

"He  does  not,"  replied  Urrea  emphatically.  "If  you 
receive  mercy  it  will  be  due  solely  to  the  clemency  of 
General  Santa  Anna  toward  rebels." 

Hot  anger  again  made  Ned's  heart  leap.  The  tone  of 
Urrea  was  almost  insufferable,  but  Major  Morris,  not  he, 
was  spokesman. 


144  THE  TEXAN  SCOUTS 

"I  am  not  empowered  to  accept  or  reject  anything," 
continued  Major  Morris.  "Colonel  Travis  is  the  com- 
mander of  our  force,  but  I  am  quite  positive  in  my  belief 
that  he  will  not  surrender." 

"We  must  carry  back  our  answer  in  either  the  af- 
firmative or  the  negative,"  said  Urrea. 

"You  can  do  neither,"  said  Major  Morris,  "but  I 
promise  you  that  if  the  answer  is  a  refusal  to  surrender 
— and  I  know  it  will  be  such — a  single  cannon  shot  will 
be  fired  from  the  wall  of  the  church." 

"Very  well,"  said  Urrea,  "and  since  that  is  your  ar- 
rangement I  see  nothing  more  to  be  said." 

"Nor  do  I,"  said  Major  Morris. 

The  Mexicans  saluted  in  a  perfunctory  manner  and 
rode  toward  San  Antonio.  The  three  Texans  went  slowly 
back  to  the  Alamo.  Ned  walked  behind  the  two  men. 
He  hoped  that  the  confidence  of  Major  Morris  was  justi- 
fied. He  knew  Santa  Anna  too  well.  He  believed  that 
the  Texans  had  more  to  fear  from  surrender  than  from 
defence. 

They  entered  the  Alamo  and  once  more  the  great  door 
was  shut  and  barred  heavily.  They  climbed  upon  the 
wall,  and  Major  Morris  and  Captain  Martin  went  toward 
Travis,  Bowie  and  Crockett,  who  stood  together  waiting. 
Ned  paused  a  little  distance  away.  He  saw  them  talking 
together  earnestly,  but  he  could  not  hear  what  they  said. 
Far  away  he  saw  the  three  Mexicans  riding  slowly  to- 
ward San  Antonio. 

Ned's  eyes  came  back  to  the  wall.  He  saw  Bowie 
detach  himself  from  the  other  two  and  advance  toward 
the  cannon.  A  moment  later  a  flash  came  from  its 
muzzle,  a  heavy  report  rolled  over  the  plain,  and  then 
came  back  in  faint  echoes. 

The  Alamo  had  sent  its  answer.    A  deep  cheer  came 


IN   THE   ALAMO  145 

from  the  Texans.  Ned's  heart  thrilled.  He  had  his  wish. 
The  boy  looked  back  toward  San  Antonio  and  his  eyes 
were  caught  by  something  red  on  the  tower  of  the 
Church  of  San  Fernando.  It  rose,  expanded  swiftly,  and 
then  burst  out  in  great  folds.  It  was  a  blood-red  flag, 
flying  now  in  the  wind,  the  flag  of  no  quarter.  No 
Texan  would  be  spared,  and  Ned  knew  it.  Nevertheless 
his  heart  thrilled  ag^ain. 


CHAPTER  IX 
THE  FLAG  OF  NO   QUARTER 

NED  gazed  long  at  the  great  red  flag  as  its  folds 
waved  in  the  wind.  A  chill  ran  down  his  spine, 
a  strange,  throbbing  sensation,  but  not  of  fear. 
They  were  a  tiny  islet  there  amid  a  Mexican  sea  which 
threatened  to  roll  over  them.  But  the  signal  of  the  flag, 
he  realized,  merely  told  him  that  which  he  had  expected 
all  the  time.  He  knew  Santa  Anna.  He  would  show  no 
quarter  to  those  who  had  humbled  Cos  and  his  forces 
at  San  Antonio. 

The  boy  was  not  assigned  to  the  watch  that  night,  but 
he  could  not  sleep  for  a  long  time.  Among  these  border- 
ers there  was  discipline,  but  it  was  discipline  of  their 
own  kind,  not  that  of  the  military  martinet.  Ned  was 
free  to  go  about  as  he  chose,  and  he  went  to  the  great 
plaza  into  which  they  had  driven  the  cattle.  Some  sup- 
plies of  hay  had  been  gathered  for  them,  and  having 
eaten  they  were  now  all  at  rest  in  a  herd,  packed  close 
against  the  western  side  of  the  wall. 

Ned  passed  near  them,  but  they  paid  no  attention  to 
him,  and  going  on  he  climbed  upon  the  portion  of  the 
wall  which  ran  close  to  the  river.  Some  distance  to  his 
right  and  an  equal  distance  to  his  left  were  sentinels. 
But  there  was  nothing  to  keep  him  from  leaping  down 
from  the  wall  on  the  outside  and  disappearing.  The 
Mexican  investment  was  not  yet  complete.  Yet  no  such 
thought  ever  entered  Ned's  head.  His  best  friends,  Will 
146 


THE   FLAG   OF   NO   QUARTER  147 

Allen,  the  Panther  and  Obed  White,  were  out  there  some- 
where, if  they  were  still  alive,  but  his  heart  was  now 
here  in  the  Alamo  with  the  Texans. 

He  listened  intently,  but  he  heard  no  sound  of  any 
Mexican  advance.  It  occurred  to  him  that  a  formidable 
attack  might  be  made  here,  particularly  under  the  cover 
of  darkness.  A  dashing  leader  like  the  younger  Urrea 
might  attempt  a  surprise. 

He  dropped  back  inside  and  went  to  one  of  the  senti- 
nels who  was  standing  on  an  abutment  with  his  head  just 
showing  above  the  wall.  He  was  a  young  man,  not  more 
than  two  or  three  years  older  than  Ned,  and  he  was  glad 
to  have  company. 

"Have  you  heard  or  seen  anything?"  asked  Ned. 

"No,"  replied  the  sentinel,  "but  I've  been  looking  for 
'em  down  this  way." 

They  waited  a  little  longer  and  then  Ned  was  quite 
sure  that  he  saw  a  dim  form  in  the  darkness.  He  pointed 
toward  it,  but  the  sentinel  could  not  see  it  at  all,  as  Ned's 
eyes  were  much  the  keener :  But  the  shape  grew  clearer 
and  Ned's  heart  throbbed. 

The  figure  was  that  of  a  great  horse,  and  Ned  recog- 
nized Old  Jack.  Nothing  could  have  persuaded  him  that 
the  faithful  beast  was  not  seeking  his  master,  and  he 
emitted  a  low  soft  whistle.  The  horse  raised  his  head, 
listened  and  then  trotted  forward. 

"He  is  mine,"  said  Ned,  "and  he  knows  me." 

"He  won't  be  yours  much  longer,"  said  the  sentinel. 
"Look,  there's  a  Mexican  creeping  along  the  ground  after 
him." 

Ned  followed  the  pointing  finger,  and  he  now  noticed 
the  Mexican,  a  vaquero,  who  had  been  crouching  so  low 
that  his  figure  blurred  with  the  earth.  Ned  saw  the 
coiled  lariat  hanging  over  his  arm,  and  he  knew  that  the 


i48  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

man  intended  to  capture  Old  Jack,  a  prize  worth  any 
effort. 

"Do  you  think  I  ought  to  shoot  him  ?"  asked  the  senti- 
nel. 

"Not  yet,  at  least,"  replied  Ned.  "I  brought  my  horse 
into  this  danger,  but  I  think  that  he'll  take  himself  out 
of  it." 

Old  Jack  had  paused,  as  if  uncertain  which  way  to  go. 
But  Ned  felt  sure  that  he  was  watching  the  Mexican  out 
of  the  tail  of  his  eye.  The  vaquero,  emboldened  by  the 
prospect  of  such  a  splendid  prize,  crept  closer  and  closer, 
and  then  suddenly  threw  the  lasso.  The  horse's  head 
ducked  down  swiftly,  the  coil  of  rope  slipped  back  over 
his  head,  and  he  dashed  at  the  Mexican. 

The  vaquero  was  barely  in  time  to  escape  those  ter- 
rible hoofs.  But  howling  with  terror  he  sprang  clear  and 
raced  away  in  the  darkness.  The  horse  whinnied  once 
or  twice  gently,  waited,  and,  when  no  answer  came  to 
his  calls,  trotted  off  in  the  dusk. 

"No  Mexican  will  take  your  horse,"  said  the  sentinel. 

"You're  right  when  you  say  that,"  said  Ned.  "I  don't 
think  another  will  ever  get  so  near  him,  but  if  he  should 
you  see  that  my  horse  knows  how  to  take  care  of  him- 
self." 

Ned  wandered  back  toward  the  convent  yard.  It  was 
now  late,  but  a  clear  moon  was  shining.  He  saw  the 
figures  of  the  sentinels  clearly  on  the  walls,  but  he  was 
confident  that  no  attack  would  be  made  by  the  Mexicans 
that  night.  His  great  tension  and  excitement  began  to 
relax  and  he  felt  that  he  could  sleep. 

He  decided  that  the  old  hospital  would  be  a  good  place, 
and,  taking  his  blankets,  he  entered  the  long  room  of 
that  building.  Only  the  moonlight  shone  there,  but  a 
friendly  voice  hailed  him  at  once. 


THE   FLAG   OF   NO   QUARTER  149 

"It's  time  you  were  hunting  rest,  Ned,"  said  Davy 
Crockett.  "I  saw  you  wanderin'  'roun'  as  if  you  was 
carryin'  the  world  on  your  shoulders,  but  I  didn't  say 
anything.  I  knew  that  you  would  come  to  if  left  to  your- 
self. There's  a  place  over  there  by  the  wall  where  the 
floor  seems  to  be  a  little  softer  than  it  is  most  every- 
where else.  Take  it  an'  enjoy  it." 

Ned  laughed  and  took  the  place  to  which  Crockett  was 
pointing.  The  hardness  of  a  floor  was  nothing  to  him, 
and  with  one  blanket  under  him  and  another  over  him  he 
went  to  sleep  quickly,  sleeping  the  night  through  without 
a  dream.  He  awoke  early,  took  a  breakfast  of  fresh 
beef  with  the  men  in  the  convent  yard,  and  then,  rifle  in 
hand,  he  mounted  the  church  wall. 

All  his  intensity  of  feeling  returned  with  the  morning. 
He  was  eager  to  see  what  was  passing  beyond  the  Alamo, 
and  the  first  object  that  caught  his  eye  was  the  blood- 
red  flag  of  no  quarter  hanging  from  the  tower  of  the 
Church  of  San  Fernando.  No  wind  was  blowing  and  it 
drooped  in  heavy  scarlet  folds  like  a  pall. 

Looking  from  the  flag  to  the  earth,  he  saw  great 
activity  in  the  Mexican  lines.  Three  or  four  batteries 
were  being  placed  in  position,  and  Mexican  officers,  evi- 
dently messengers,  were  galloping  about.  The  flat  roofs 
of  the  houses  in  San  Antonio  were  covered  with  people. 
Ned  knew  that  they  were  there  to  see  Santa  Anna  win 
a  quick  victory  and  take  immediate  vengeance  upon  the 
Texans.  He  recognized  Santa  Anna  himself  riding  in 
his  crouched  attitude  upon  a  great  white  horse,  passing 
from  battery  to  battery  and  hurrying  the  work.  There 
was  proof  that  his  presence  was  effective,  as  the  men 
always  worked  faster  when  he  came. 

Ned  saw  all  the  Texan  leaders,  Travis,  Bowie,  Crockett 
and  Bonham,  watching  the  batteries.  The  whole  Texan 


150  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

force  was  now  manning  the  walls  and  the  heavy  cedar 
palisade  at  many  points,  but  Ned  saw  that  for  the  present 
all  their  dealings  would  be  with  the  cannon. 

Earthworks  had  been  thrown  up  to  protect  the  Mexi- 
can batteries,  and  the  Texan  cannon  were  posted  for 
reply,  but  Ned  noticed  that  his  comrades  seemed  to  think 
little  of  the  artillery.  In  this  desperate  crisis  they  fondled 
their  rifles  lovingly. 

He  was  still  watching  the  batteries,  when  a  gush  of 
smoke  and  flame  came  from  one  of  the  cannon.  There 
was  a  great  shout  in  the  Mexican  lines,  but  the  round 
shot  spent  itself  against  the  massive  stone  walls  of  the 
mission. 

"They'll  have  to  send  out  a  stronger  call  than  that," 
said  Davy  Crockett  contemptuously,  "before  this  'coon 
comes  down." 

Travis  went  along  the  walls,  saw  that  the  Texans  were 
sheltering  themselves,  and  waited.  There  was  another 
heavy  report  and  a  second  round  shot  struck  harmlessly 
upon  the  stone.  Then  the  full  bombardment  began.  A 
half  dozen  batteries  rained  shot  and  shell  upon  the  Alamo. 
The  roar  was  continuous  like  the  steady  roll  of  thunder, 
and  it  beat  upon  the  drums  of  Ned's  ears  until  he  thought 
he  would  become  deaf. 

He  was  crouched  behind  the  stone  parapet,  but  he 
looked  up  often  enough  to  see  what  was  going  on.  He 
saw  a  vast  cloud  of  smoke  gathering  over  river  and  town, 
rent  continually  by  flashes  of  fire  from  the  muzzles  of 
the  cannon.  The  air  was  full  of  hissing  metal,  shot  and 
shell  poured  in  a  storm  upon  the  Alamo.  Now  and  then 
the  Texan  cannon  replied,  but  not  often. 

The  cannon  fire  was  so  great  that  for  a  time  it  shook 
Ned's  nerves.  It  seemed  as  if  nothing  could  live  under 
such  a  rain  of  missiles,  but  when  he  looked  along  the 


THE   FLAG   OF   NO   QUARTER  151 

parapet  and  saw  all  the  Texans  unharmed  his  courage 
came  back. 

Many  of  the  balls  were  falling  inside  the  church,  in 
the  convent  yard  and  in  the  plazas,  but  the  Texans  there 
were  protected  also,  and  as  far  as  Ned  could  see  not  a 
single  man  had  been  wounded. 

The  cannonade  continued  for  a  full  hour  and  then 
ceased  abruptly.  The  great  cloud  of  smoke  began  to 
lift,  and  the  Alamo,  river  and  town  came  again  into  the 
brilliant  sunlight.  The  word  passed  swiftly  among  the 
defenders  that  their  fortress  was  uninjured  and  not  a 
man  hurt. 

As  the  smoke  rose  higher  Ned  saw  Mexican  officers 
with  glasses  examining  the  Alamo  to  see  what  damage 
their  cannon  had  done.  He  hoped  they  would  feel  morti- 
fication when  they  found  it  was  so  little.  Davy  Crockett 
knelt  near  him  on  the  parapet,  and  ran  his  hand  lovingly 
along  the  barrel  of  Betsy,  as  one  strokes  the  head  of  a 
child. 

"Do  you  want  some  more  rifles,  Davy?"  asked  Bowie. 

"Jest  about  a  half  dozen,"  replied  Crockett.  "I  think 
I  can  use  that  many  before  they  clear  out." 

Six  of  the  long-barreled  Texan  rifles  were  laid  at 
Crockett's  feet.  Ned  watched  with  absorbed  interest. 
Crockett's  eye  was  on  the  nearest  battery  and  he  was 
slowly  raising  Betsy. 

"Which  is  to  be  first,  Davy?"  asked  Bowie. 

"The  one  with  the  rammer  in  his  hand." 

Crockett  took  a  single  brief  look  down  the  sights  and 
pulled  the  trigger.  The  man  with  the  rammer  dropped  to 
the  earth  and  the  rammer  fell  beside  him.  He  lay  quite 
still.  Crockett  seized  a  second  rifle  and  fired.  A  loader 
fell  and  he  also  lay  still.  A  third  rifle  shot,  almost  as 
quick  as  a  flash,  and  a  gunner  went  down,  a  fourth  and 


152  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

a  man  at  a  wheel  fell,  a  fifth  and  .the  unerring  bullet 
claimed  a  sponger,  a  sixth  and  a  Mexican  just  springing 
to  cover  was  wounded  in  the  shoulder.  Then  Crockett 
remained  with  the  seventh  rifle  still  loaded  in  his  hands, 
as  there  was  nothing  to  shoot  at,  all  the  Mexicans  now 
being  hidden. 

But  Crockett,  kneeling  on  the  parapet,  the  rifle  cocked 
and  his  finger  on  the  trigger,  watched  in  case  any  of  the 
Mexicans  should  expose  himself  again.  He  presented 
to  Ned  the  simile  of  some  powerful  animal  about  to 
spring.  The  lean,  muscular  figure  was  poised  for  instant 
action,  and  all  the  whimsicality  and  humor  were  gone 
from  the  eyes  of  the  sharpshooter. 

A  mighty  shout  of  triumph  burst  from  the  Texans. 
Many  a  good  marksman  was  there,  but  never  before  had 
they  seen  such  shooting.  The  great  reputation  of  Davy 
Crockett,  universal  in  the  southwest,  was  justified  fully. 
The  crew  of  the  gun  had  been  annihilated  in  less  than  a 
minute. 

For  a  while  there  was  silence.  Then  the  Mexicans, 
protected  by  the  earthwork  that  they  had  thrown  up, 
drew  the  battery  back  a  hundred  yards.  Even  in  the 
farther  batteries  the  men  were  very  careful  about  ex- 
posing themselves.  The  Texans,  seeing  no  sure  target, 
held  their  fire.  The  Mexicans  opened  a  new  cannonade 
and  for  another  half  hour  the  roar  of  the  great  guns 
drowned  all  other  sounds.  But  when  it  ceased  and  the 
smoke  drifted  away  the  Texans  were  still  unharmed. 

Ned  was  now  by  the  side  of  Bowie,  who  showed  great 
satisfaction. 

"What  will  they  do  next?"  asked  Ned. 

"I  don't  know,  but  you  see  now  that  it's  not  the  biggest 
noise  that  hurts  the  most.  They'll  never  get  us  with 
cannon  fire.  The  only  way  they  can  do  it  is  to  attack 


THE   FLAG   OF   NO   QUARTER  153 

the  lowest  part  of  our  wall  and  make  a  bridge  of  their 
own  bodies." 

"They  are  doing  something  now,"  said  Ned, 
whose  far-sighted  vision  always  served  him  well. 
"They  are  pulling  down  houses  in  the  town  next  to  the 
river." 

"That's  so,"  said  Bowie,  "but  we  won't  have  to  wait 
long  to  see  what  they're  about." 

Hundreds  of  Mexicans  with  wrecking  hooks  had  as- 
sailed three  or  four  of  the  houses,  which  they  quickly 
pulled  to  pieces.  Others  ran  forward  with  the  materials 
and  began  to  build  a  bridge  across  the  narrow  San  An- 
tonio. 

"They  want  to  cross  over  on  that  bridge  and  get  into  a 
position  at  once  closer  and  more  sheltered,"  said  Bowie, 
"but  unless  I  make  a  big  mistake  those  men  at  work 
there  are  already  within  range  of  our  rifles.  Shall  we 
open  fire,  Colonel?" 

He  asked  the  question  of  Travis,  who  nodded.  A 
picked  band  of  Mexicans  under  General  Castrillon  were 
gathered  in  a  mass  and  were  rapidly  fitting  together  the 
timbers  of  the  houses  to  make  the  narrow  bridge.  But 
the  reach  of  the  Texan  rifles  was  great,  and  Davy 
Crockett  was  merely  the  king  among  so  many  sharp- 
shooters. 

The  rifles  began  to  flash  and  crack.  No  man  fired  until 
he  was  sure  of  his  aim,  and  no  two  picked  the  same 
target.  The  Mexicans  fell  fast.  In  five  minutes  thirty 
or  forty  were  killed,  some  of  them  falling  into  the  river, 
and  the  rest,  dropping  the  timbers,  fled  with  shouts  of 
horror  from  the  fatal  spot.  General  Castrillon,  a  brave 
man,  sought  to  drive  them  back,  but  neither  blows  nor 
oaths  availed.  Santa  Anna  himself  came  and  made  many 
threats,  but  the  men  would  not  stir.  They  preferred 


154  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

punishment  to  the  sure  death  that  awaited  them  from 
the  muzzles  of  the  Texan  rifles. 

The  light  puffs  of  rifle  smoke  were  quickly  gone,  and 
once  more  the  town  with  the  people  watching  on  the  flat 
roofs  came  into  full  view.  A  wind  burst  out  the  folds 
of  the  red  flag  of  no  quarter  on  the  tower  of  the  church 
of  San  Fernando,  but  Ned  paid  no  attention  to  it  now. 
He  was  watching  for  Santa  Anna's  next  move. 

"That's  a  bridge  that  will  never  be  built,"  said  Davy 
Crockett.  "  'Live  an'  learn'  is  a  good  sayin',  I  suppose, 
but  a  lot  of  them  Mexicans  neither  lived  nor  learned. 
It's  been  a  great  day  for  'Betsy'  here." 

Travis,  the  commander,  showed  elation. 

"I  think  Santa  Anna  will  realize  now,"  he  said,  "that 
he  has  neither  a  promenade  nor  a  picnic  before  him.  Oh, 
if  we  only  had  six  or  seven  hundred  men,  instead  of  less 
than  a  hundred  and  fifty !" 

"We  must  send  for  help,"  said  Bowie.  "The  numbers 
of  Santa  Anna  continually  increase,  but  we  are  not  yet 
entirely  surrounded.  If  the  Texans  know  that  we  are 
beleaguered  here  they  will  come  to  our  help." 

"I  will  send  messengers  to-morrow  night,"  said  Travis. 
"The  Texans  are  much  scattered,  but  it  is  likely  that 
some  will  come." 

It  was  strange,  but  it  was  characteristic  of  them,  never- 
theless, that  no  one  made  any  mention  of  escape.  Many 
could  have  stolen  away  in  the  night  over  the  lower  walls. 
Perhaps  all  could  have  done  so,  but  not  a  single  Texan 
ever  spoke  of  such  a  thing,  and  not  one  ever  attempted  it. 

Santa  Anna  moved  some  of  his  batteries  and  also 
erected  two  new  ones.  When  the  work  on  the  latter 
was  finished  all  opened  in  another  tremendous  cannon- 
ade, lasting  for  fully  an  hour.  The  bank  of  smoke  was 
heavier  than  ever,  and  the  roaring  in  Ned's  ears  was 


THE   FLAG   OF   NO   QUARTER  155 

incessant,  but  he  felt  no  awe  now.  He  was  growing  used 
to  the  cannon  fire,  and  as  it  did  so  little  harm  he  felt  no 
apprehension. 

While  the  fire  was  at  its  height  he  went  down  in  the 
church  and  cleaned  his  rifle,  although  he  took  the  pre- 
caution to  remain  in  one  of  the  covered  rooms  by  the 
doorway.  Davy  Crockett  was  also  there  busy  with  the 
same  task.  Before  they  finished  a  cannon  ball  dropped 
on  the  floor,  bounded  against  the  wall  and  rebounded 
several  times  until  it  finally  lay  at  rest. 

"Somethin'  laid  a  big  egg  then,"  said  Crockett.  "It's 
jest  as  well  to  keep  a  stone  roof  over  your  head  when 
you're  under  fire  of  a  few  dozen  cannon.  Never  take 
foolish  risks,  Ned,  for  the  sake  of  showin'  off.  That's 
the  advice  of  an  old  man." 

Crockett  spoke  very  earnestly,  and  Ned  remembered 
his  words.  Bonham  called  to  them  a  few  minutes  later 
that  the  Mexicans  seemed  to  be  meditating  some  move' 
ment  on  the  lower  wall  around  the  grand  plaza. 

"Like  as  not  you're  right,"  said  Crockett.  "It  would 
be  the  time  to  try  it  while  our  attention  was  attracted 
by  the  big  cannonade." 

Crockett  himself  was  detailed  to  meet  the  new  move- 
ment, and  he  led  fifty  sharpshooters.  Ned  was  with  him, 
his  brain  throbbing  with  the  certainty  that  he  was  going 
into  action  once  more.  Great  quantities  of  smoke  hung 
over  the  Alamo  and  had  penetrated  every  part  of  it.  It 
crept  into  Ned's  throat,  and  it  also  stung  his  eyes.  It 
inflamed  his  brain  and  increased  his  desire  for  combat. 
They  reached  the  low  wall  on  a  run,  and  found  that 
Bonham  was  right.  A  large  force  of  Mexicans  was  ap- 
proaching from  that  side,  evidently  expecting  to  make 
an  opening  under  cover  of  the  smoke. 

The  assailants   were  already   within   range,  and  the 


156  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

deadly  Texan  rifles  began  to  crack  at  once  from  the 
wall.  The  whole  front  line  of  the  Mexican  column  was 
quickly  burned  away.  The  return  fire  of  the  Mexicans 
was  hasty  and  irregular  and  they  soon  broke  and  ran. 

"An'  that's  over,"  said  Crockett,  as  he  sent  a  parting 
shot.  "It  was  easy,  an'  bein'  sheltered  not  a  man  of  ours 
was  hurt.  But,  Ned,  don't  let  the  idea  that  we  have  a 
picnic  here  run  away  with  you.  We've  got  to  watch  an' 
watch  an'  fight  an'  fight  all  the  time,  an'  every  day  more 
Mexicans  will  come." 

"I  understand,  Mr.  Crockett,"  said  Ned.  "You  know 
that  we  may  never  get  out  of  here  alive,  and  I  know  it, 
too." 

"You  speak  truth,  lad,"  said  Crockett,  very  soberly. 
"But  remember  that  it's  a  chance  we  take  every  day 
here  in  the  southwest.  An'  it's  pleasant  to  know  that 
they're  all  brave  men  here  together.  You  haven't  seen 
any  flihchin'  on  the  part  of  anybody  an'  I  don't  think  you 
ever  will." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  now  ?"  asked  Ned. 

"I'm  goin'  to  eat  dinner,  an'  after  that  I'll  take  a  nap. 
My  advice  to  you  is  to  do  the  same,  'cause  you'll  be  on 
watch  to-night." 

"I  know  I  can  eat,"  said  Ned,  "and  I'll  try  to  sleep." 

He  found  that  his  appetite  was  all  right,  and  after 
dinner  he  lay  down  in  the  long  room  of  the  hospital. 
Here  he  heard  the  cannon  of  Santa  Anna  still  thunder- 
ing, but  the  walls  softened  the  sound  somewhat  and  made 
it  seem  much  more  distant.  In  a  way  it  was  soothing 
and  Ned,  although  sure  that  he  could  not  sleep,  slept. 
All  that  afternoon  he  was  rocked  into  deeper  slumber  by 
the  continuous  roar  of  the  Mexican  guns.  Smoke  floated 
over  the  convent  yard  and  through  all  the  buildings,  but 
it  did  not  disturb  him.  Now  and  then  a  flash  of  rifle  fire 


THE   FLAG   OF   NO   QUARTER          157 

came  from  the  Texans  on  the  walls,  but  that  did  not  dis- 
turb him,  either. 

Nature  was  paying  its  debt.  The  boy  lying  on 
his  blankets  breathed  deeply  and  regularly  as  he  slept. 
The  hours  of  the  afternoon  passed  one  by  one,  and 
it  was  dark  when  he  awoke.  The  fire  of  the  can- 
non had  now  ceased  and  two  or  three  lights  were  burn- 
ing in  the  hospital.  Crockett  was  already  up,  and 
with  some  of  the  other  men  was  eating  beefsteak  at  a 
table. 

"You  said  you'd  try  to  sleep,  Ned,"  he  exclaimed,  "an* 
you  must  have  made  a  big  try,  'cause  you  snored  so  loud 
we  couldn't  hear  Santa  Anna's  cannon." 

"Why,  I'm  sure  I  don't  snore,  Mr.  Crockett,"  said  Ned, 
red  in  the  face. 

"No,  you  don't  snore,  I'll  take  that  back,"  said  Davy 
Crockett,  when  the  laugh  subsided,  "but  I  never  saw  a 
young  man  sleep  more  beautifully  an'  skillfully.  Why, 
the  risin'  an'  fallin'  of  your  chest  was  as  reg'lar  as  the 
tickin'  of  a  clock." 

Ned  joined  them  at  the  table.  He  did  not  mind  the 
jests  of  those  men,  as  they  did  not  mind  the  jests  of  one 
another.  They  were  now  like  close  blood-kin.  They 
were  a  band  of  brethren,  bound  together  by  the  unbreak- 
able tie  of  mortal  danger. 

Ned  spent  two-thirds  of  the  night  on  the  church  wall. 
The  Mexicans  let  the  cannon  rest  in  the  darkness,  and 
only  a  few  rifle  shots  were  fired.  But  there  were  many 
lights  in  San  Antonio,  and  on  the  outskirts  two  great 
bonfires  burned.  Santa  Anna  and  his  generals,  feeling 
that  their  prey  could  not  escape  from  the  trap,  and  caring 
little  for  the  peons  who  had  been  slain,  were  making  a 
festival.  It  is  even  said  that  Santa  Anna  on  this  cam- 
paign, although  he  left  a  wife  in  the  city  of  Mexico, 


158  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

exercised  the  privileges  of  an  Oriental  ruler  and  married 
another  amid  great  rejoicings. 

Ned  slept  soundly  when  his  watch  was  finished,  and 
he  awoke  again  the  next  day  to  the  thunder  of  the 
cannonade,  which  continued  almost  without  cessation 
throughout  the  day,  but  in  the  afternoon  Travis  wrote  a 
letter,  a  noble  appeal  to  the  people  of  Texas  for  help. 
He  stated  that  they  had  been  under  a  continual  bom- 
bardment for  more  than  twenty-four  hours,  but  not  a 
man  had  yet  been  hurt.  "I  shall  never  surrender  or 
retreat,"  he  said.  "Then  I  call  on  you  in  the  name  of 
liberty,  of  patriotism,  and  of  everything  dear  to  the 
American  character,  to  come  to  our  aid  with  all  dis- 
patch." He  closed  with  the  three  words,  "Victory  or 
death,"  not  written  in  any  vainglory  or  with  any  melo- 
dramatic appeal,  but  with  the  full  consciousness  of  the 
desperate  crisis,  and  a  quiet  resolution  to  do  as  he  said. 

The  heroic  letter  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  State 
of  Texas.  Most  of  the  men  in  the  Alamo  knew  its  con- 
tents, and  they  approved  of  it.  When  it  was  fully  dark 
Travis  gave  it  to  Albert  Martin.  Then  he  looked  around 
for  another  messenger. 

"Two  should  go  together  in  case  of  mishap,"  he  said. 

His  eye  fell  upon  Ned. 

"If  you  wish  to  go  I  will  send  you,"  he  said,  "but  I 
leave  it  to  your  choice.  If  you  prefer  to  stay,  you  stay." 

Ned's  first  impulse  was  to  go.  He  might  find  Obed 
White,  Will  Allen  and  the  Panther  out  there  and  bring 
them  back  with  him,  but  his  second  impulse  told  him 
that  it  was  only  a  chance,  and  he  would  abide  with 
Crockett  and  Bowie. 

"I  thank  you  for  the  offer,  but  I  think,  sir,  that  I'll 
stay,"  he  said. 

He  saw  Crockett  give  him  a  swift  approving  glance. 


THE   FLAG   OF   NO   QUARTER  159 

Another  was  quickly  chosen  in  his  stead,  and  Ned  was 
in  the  grand  plaza  when  they  dropped  over  the  low  wall 
and  disappeared  in  the  darkness.  His  comrades  and  he 
listened  attentively  a  long  time,  but  as  they  heard  no 
sound  of  shots  they  were  sure  that  they  were  now  safe 
beyond  the  Mexican  lines. 

"I  don't  want  to  discourage  anybody,"  said  Bowie, 
"but  I'm  not  hoping  much  from  the  messengers.  The 
Texans  are  scattered  too  widely." 

"No,  they  can't  bring  many,"  said  Crockett,  "but  every 
man  counts.  Sometimes  it  takes  mighty  little  to  turn  the 
tale,  and  they  may  turn  it." 

"I  hope  so,"  said  Bowie. 

The  Mexican  cannon  were  silent  that  night  and  Ned 
slept  deeply,  awaking  only  when  the  dawn  of  a  clear  day 
came.  He  was  astonished  at  the  quickness  with  which 
he  grew  used  to  a  state  of  siege  and  imminent  danger. 
All  the  habits  of  life  now  went  on  as  usual.  He  ate 
breakfast  with  as  good  an  appetite  as  if  he  had  been  out 
on  the  prairie  with  his  friends,  and  he  talked  with  his 
new  comrades  as  if  Santa  Anna  and  his  army  were  a 
thousand  miles  away. 

But  when  he  did  go  upon  the  church  wall  he  saw  that 
Santa  Anna  had  begun  work  again  and  at  a  new  place. 
The  Mexican  general,  having  seen  that  his  artillery  was 
doing  no  damage,  was  making  a  great  effort  to  get  within 
much  closer  range  where  the  balls  would  count.  Men 
protected  by  heavy  planking  or  advancing  along  trenches 
were  seeking  to  erect  a  battery  within  less  than  three 
hundred  yards  of  the  entrance  to  the  main  plaza.  They 
had  already  thrown  up  a  part  of  a  breastwork.  Mean- 
while the  Texan  sharpshooters  were  waiting  for  a  chance. 

Ned  took  no  part  in  it  except  that  of  a  spectator.  But 
Crockett,  Bowie  and  a  dozen  others  were  crouched  on 


160  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

the  wall  with  their  rifles.  Presently  an  incautious  Mexi- 
can showed  above  the  earthwork.  It  was  Crockett  who 
slew  him,  but  Bowie  took  the  next.  Then  the  other  rifles 
flashed  fast,  eight  or  ten  Mexicans  were  slain,  and  the 
rest  fled.  Once  more  the  deadly  Texan  rifles  had  tri- 
umphed. 

Ned  wondered  why  Santa  Anna  had  endeavored  to 
place  the  battery  there  in  the  daytime.  It  could  be  done 
at  night,  when  it  was  impossible  for  the  Texans  to  aim 
their  rifles  so  well.  He  did  not  know  that  the  pride  of 
Santa  Anna,  unable  to  brook  delay  in  the  face  of  so 
small  a  force,  had  pushed  him  forward. 

Knowing  now  what  might  be  done  at  night,  Ned  passed 
the  day  in  anxiety,  and  with  the  coming  of  the  twilight 
his  anxiety  increased. 


CHAPTER  X 
CROCKETT  AND   BOWIE 

UNLUCKILY  for  the  Texans,  the  night  was  the 
darkest  of  the  month.  No  bonfires  burned  in 
San  Antonio,  and  there  were  no  sounds  of 
music.  It  seemed  to  Ned  that  the  silence  and  darkness 
were  sure  indications  of  action  on  the  part  of  the  foe. 

He  felt  more  lonely  and  depressed  than  at  any  other 
time  hitherto  in  the  siege,  and  he  was  glad  when  Crockett 
and  a  young  Tennesseean  whom  he  called  the  Bee-Hunter 
joined  him.  Crockett  had  not  lost  any  of  his  whimsical 
good  humor,  and  when  Ned  suggested  that  Santa  Anna 
was  likely  to  profit  by  the  dark  he  replied : 

"If  he  is  the  general  I  take  him  to  be  he  will,  or  at 
least  try,  but  meanwhile  we'll  just  wait,  an'  look,  an' 
listen.  That's  the  way  to  find  out  if  things  are  goin'  to 
happen.  Don't  turn  little  troubles  into  big  ones.  You 
don't  need  a  cowskin  for  a  calf.  We'll  jest  rest  easy. 
Fm  mighty  nigh  old  enough  to  be  your  grandfather,  Ned, 
an'  I've  learned  to  take  things  as  they  come.  I  guess 
men  of  my  age  were  talkin'  this  same  way  five  thousand 
years  ago." 

"You've  seen  a  lot  in  your  life,  Mr.  Crockett,"  said 
Ned,  to  whom  the  Tennesseean  was  a  great  hero. 

Crockett  laughed  low,  but  deep  in  his  throat,  and  with 
much  pleasure. 

"So  I  have !    So  I  have !"  he  replied,  "an',  by  the  blue 

blazes,  I  can  say  it  without  braggin'.    I've  seen  a  lot  of 

water  go  by  since  I  was  runnin'  'roun'  a  bare-footed  boy 

in  Tennessee.    I've  ranged  pretty  far  from  east  to  west, 

161 


162  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

an'  all  the  way  from  Boston  in  the  north  to  this  old 
mission,  an'  that  must  be  some  thousands  of  miles.  An' 
I've  had  some  big  times  in  New  York,  too." 

"You've  been  in  New  York,"  said  Ned,  with  quick 
interest.  "It  must  be  a  great  town." 

"It  is.  It's  certainly  a  bulger  of  a  place.  There  are 
thousands  an'  thousands  of  houses,  an'  you  can't  count 
the  sails  in  the  bay.  I  saw  the  City  Hall  an'  it's  a  mighty 
fine  buildin',  too.  It's  all  marble  on  the  side  looking 
south,  an'  plain  stone  on  the  side  lookin'  north.  I  asked 
why,  an'  they  said  all  the  poor  people  lived  to  the  north 
of  it.  That's  the  way  things  often  happen,  Ned.  An'  I 
saw  the  great,  big  hotel  John  Jacob  Astor  was  beginnin' 
to  build  on  Broadway  just  below  the  City  Hall.  They 
said  it  would  cost  seven  hundred  thousand  dollars,  which 
is  an  all-fired  lot  of  money,  that  it  would  cover  mighty 
nigh  a  whole  block,  an'  that  there  would  be  nothin'  else 
in  America  comin'  up  to  it." 

"I'd  like  to  see  that  town,"  said  Ned. 

"Maybe  you  will  some  day,"  said  Crockett,  "  'cause 
you're  young.  You  don't  know  how  young  you  look  to 
me.  I  heard  a  lot  there,  Ned,  about  that  rich  man,  Mr. 
Astor.  He  got  his  start  as  a  fur  trader.  I  guess  he  was 
about  the  biggest  fur  trader  that  ever  was.  He  was  so 
active  that  all  them  animals  that  wore  furs  on  their  backs 
concluded  they  might  as  well  give  up.  I  heard  one  story 
there  about  an  otter  an'  a  beaver  talkin'.  Says  the  otter 
to  the  beaver,  when  he  was  tellin'  the  beaver  good-by 
after  a  visit :  'Farewell,  I  never  expect  to  see  you  again, 
my  dear  old  friend.'  'Don't  be  too  much  distressed,'  re- 
plies the  beaver,  'you  an'  I,  old  comrade,  will  soon  meet 
at  the  hat  store.'  " 

Ned  and  the  Bee-Hunter  laughed,  and  Crockett 
delved  again  into  his  past  life  and  his  experiences  in  the 


CROCKETT   AND   BOWIE  163 

great  city,  relatively  as  great  then  to  the  whole  country 
as  it  is  now. 

"I  saw  a  heap  of  New  York,"  he  continued,  "an'  one 
of  the  things  I  liked  best  in  it  was  the  theaters.  Lad,  I 
saw  the  great  Fanny  Kemble  play  there,  an'  she  shorely 
was  one  of  the  finest  women  that  ever  walked  this  trou- 
bled earth.  I  saw  her  first  as  Portia  in  that  play  of 
Shakespeare's  called,  called,  called " 

"  'The  Merchant  of  Venice,'  "  suggested  Ned. 

"Yes,  that's  it,  The  Merchant  of  Venice,'  where  she 
was  the  woman  lawyer.  She  was  fine  to  see,  an'  the  way 
she  could  change  her  voice  an'  looks  was  clean  mirac'lous. 
If  ever  I  need  a  lawyer  I  want  her  to  act  for  me.  She 
had  me  mad,  an'  then  she  had  me  laughin',  an'  then  she 
had  the  water  startin'  in  my  eyes.  Whatever  she  wanted 
me  to  see  I  saw,  an'  whatever  she  wanted  me  to  think 
I  thought.  An'  then,  too,  she  was  many  kinds  of  a 
woman,  different  in  turn.  In  fact,  Ned,  she  was  just  like 
a  handsome  piece  of  changeable  silk — first  one  color  an' 
then  another,  but  always  clean." 

He  paused  and  the  others  did  not  interrupt  him. 

"I  don't  like  cities,"  he  resumed  presently.  "They 
crowd  me  up  too  much,  but  I  do  like  the  theater.  It 
makes  you  see  so  many  things  an'  so  many  kinds  of 
people  that  you  wouldn't  have  time  to  see  if  you  had  to 
travel  for  'em.  We  don't  have  much  chance  to  travel 
right  now,  do  we,  Bee-Hunter?" 

"A  few  hundred  yards  only  for  our  bodies,"  replied  the 
young  Tennesseean,  "but  our  spirits  soar  far; 

*Up  with  your  banner.  Freedom, 

Thy  champions  cling  to  thee, 
They'll   follow  where'er  you  lead  them 

To  death  or  victory. 
Up  with  your  banner.  Freedom.'" 


164  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

He  merely  hummed  the  words,  but  Ned  caught  his 
spirit  and  he  repeated  to  himself :  "Up  with  your  ban- 
ner, Freedom." 

"I  guess  you've  heard  enough  tales  from  an  old  fellow 
like  me,"  said  Crockett.  "At  least  you  won't  have  time 
to  hear  any  more  'cause  the  Mexicans  must  be  moving 
out  there.  Do  you  hear  anything,  Ned?" 

"Nothing  but  a  little  wind." 

"Then  my  ears  must  be  deceivin'  me.  I've  used  'em 
such  a  long  time  that  I  guess  they  feel  they've  got  a 
right  to  trick  me  once  in  a  while." 

But  Ned  was  thinking  just  then  of  the  great  city  which 
he  wanted  to  see  some  day  as  Crockett  had  seen  it.  But 
it  seemed  to  him  at  that  moment  as  far  away  as  the 
moon.  Would  his  comrades  and  he  ever  escape  from 
those  walls? 

His  mind  came  back  with  a  jerk.  He  did  hear  some- 
thing on  the  plain.  Crockett  was  right.  He  heard  the 
tread  of  horses  and  the  sound  of  wheels  moving.  He 
called  the  attention  of  Crockett  to  the  noises. 

"I  think  I  know  what  causes  them,"  said  Crockett. 
"Santa  Anna  is  planting  his  battery  under  the  cover  of 
the  night  an'  I  don't  see,  boys,  how  we're  goin'  to  keep 
him  from  doin'  it." 

The  best  of  the  Texan  sharpshooters  lined  the  walls, 
and  they  fired  occasionally  at  indistinct  and  flitting  fig- 
ures, but  they  were  quite  certain  that  they  did  no  execu- 
tion. The  darkness  was  too  great.  Travis,  Bowie  and 
Crockett  considered  the  possibility  of  a  sortie,  but  they 
decided  that  it  had  no  chance  of  success.  The  few  score 
Texans  would  be  overwhelmed  in  the  open  plain  by  the 
thousands  of  Mexicans. 

But  all  the  leaders  were  uneasy.  If  the  Mexican  bat- 
teries were  brought  much  closer,  and  were  protected  by 


CROCKETT  AND  BOWIE  165 

earthworks  and  other  fortifications,  the  Alamo  would  be 
much  less  defensible.  It  was  decided  to  send  another 
messenger  for  help,  and  Ned  saw  Bonham  drop  over 
the  rear  wall  and  slip  away  in  the  darkness.  He  was  to 
go  to  Goliad,  where  Fannin  had  300  men  and  four  guns, 
and  bring  them  in  haste. 

When  Bonham  was  gone  Ned  returned  to  his  place 
on  the  wall.  For  hours  he  heard  the  noises  without,  the 
distant  sound  of  voices,  the  heavy  clank  of  metal  against 
metal,  and  he  knew  full  well  that  Santa  Anna  was  plant- 
ing his  batteries.  At  last  he  went  to  his  place  in  the  long 
room  of  the  hospital  and  slept. 

When  dawn  came  he  sprang  up  and  rushed  to  the  wall. 
There  was  the  battery  of  Santa  Anna  only  three  hundred 
yards  from  the  entrance  to  the  main  plaza  and  to  the 
southeast,  but  little  further  away,  was  another.  The 
Mexicans  had  worked  well  during  the  night. 

"They're  creepin'  closer,  Ned.  They're  creepin*  closer," 
said  Crockett,  who  had  come  to  the  wall  before  him, 
"but  even  at  that  range  I  don't  think  their  cannon  will  do 
us  much  harm.  Duck,  boy.  duck!  They're  goin'  to 
fire!" 

The  two  batteries  opened  at  the  same  time,  and  the 
Mexican  masses  in  the  rear,  out  of  range,  began  a  tre- 
mendous cheering.  Many  of  the  balls  and  shells  now  fell 
inside  the  mission,  but  the  Texans  stayed  well  under 
cover  and  they  still  escaped  without  harm.  The  Mexican 
gunners,  in  their  turn,  kept  so  well  protected  that  the 
Texan  riflemen  had  little  chance. 

The  great  bombardment  lasted  an  hour,  but  when  it 
ceased,  and  the  smoke  lifted,  Ned  saw  a  heavy  mass  of 
Mexican  cavalry  on  the  eastern  road. 

Both  Ned  and  Crockett  took  a  long  look  at  the  cav- 
alry, a  fine  body  of  men,  some  carrying  lances  and  others 


166  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

muskets.  Ned  believed  that  he  recognized  Urrea  in  the 
figure  of  their  leader,  but  the  distance  was  too  great  for 
certainty.  But  when  he  spoke  of  it  to  Crockett  the 
Tenesseean  borrowed  Travis'  field  glasses. 

"Take  these,"  he  said,  "an'  if  it's  that  beloved  enemy 
of  yours  you  can  soon  tell." 

The  boy,  with  the  aid  of  the  glasses,  recognized  Urrea 
at  once.  The  young  leader  in  the  uniform  of  a  Mexican 
captain  and  with  a  cocked  and  plumed  hat  upon  his  head 
sat  his  horse  haughtily.  Ned  knew  that  he  was  swelling 
with  pride  and  that  he,  like  Santa  Anna,  expected  the 
trap  to  shut  down  on  the  little  band  of  Texans  in  a  day 
or  two.  He  felt  some  bitterness  that  fate  should  have 
done  so  much  for  Urrea. 

"I  judge  by  your  face,"  said  Crockett  whimsically, 
"that  it  is  Urrea.  But  remember,  Ned,  that  you  can  still 
be  hated  and  live  long." 

"It  is  indeed  Urrea,"  said  Ned.  "Now  what  are  they 
gathering  cavalry  out  there  for?  They  can't  expect  to 
gallop  over  our  walls." 

"Guess  they've  an  idea  that  we're  goin'  to  try  to  slip 
out  an'  they're  shuttin'  up  that  road  of  escape.  Seems 
to  me,  Ned,  they're  comin'  so  close  that  it's  an  insult 
to  us." 

"They're  almost  within  rifle  shot." 

"Then  these  bad  little  Mexican  boys  must  have  their 
faces  scorched  as  a  lesson.  Just  you  wait  here,  Ned,  till 
I  have  a  talk  with  Travis  an'  Bowie." 

It  was  obvious  to  Ned  that  Crockett's  talk  with  the 
commander  and  his  second  was  satisfactory,  because  when 
he  returned  his  face  was  in  a  broad  grin.  Bowie,  more- 
over, came  with  him,  and  his  blue  eyes  were  lighted  up 
with  the  fire  of  battle. 

"We're  goin'  to  teach  'em  the  lesson,  Ned,  beginnin' 


CROCKETT   AND   BOWIE  167 

with  a  b  c,"  said  Crockett,  "an'  Jim  here,  who  has  had  a 
lot  of  experience  in  Texas,  will  lead  us.  Come  along, 
I'll  watch  over  you." 

A  force  of  seventy  or  eighty  was  formed  quickly,  and 
hidden  from  the  view  of  the  Mexicans,  they  rushed  down 
the  plaza,  climbed  the  low  walls  and  dropped  down  upon 
the  plain.  The  Mexican  cavalry  outnumbered  them  four 
or  five  to  one,  but  the  Texans  cared  little  for  such  odds. 

"Now,  boys,  up  with  your  rifles !"  cried  Bowie.  "Pump 
it  into  'em !" 

Bowie  was  a  product  of  the  border,  hard  and  desperate, 
a  man  of  many  fierce  encounters,  but  throughout  the  siege 
he  had  been  singularly  gentle  and  considerate  in  his  deal- 
ings with  his  brother  Texans.  Now  he  was  all  warrior 
again,  his  eyes  blazing  with  blue  fire  while  he  shouted 
vehement  words  of  command  to  his  men. 

The  sudden  appearance  of  the  Texan  riflemen  outside 
the  Alamo  took  Urrea  by  surprise,  but  he  was  quick  of 
perception  and  action,  and  his  cavalrymen  were  the  best 
in  the  Mexican  army.  He  wheeled  them  into  line  with 
a  few  words  of  command  and  shouted  to  them  to  charge. 
Bowie's  men  instantly  stopped,  forming  a  rough  line,  and 
up  went  their  rifles.  Urrea's  soldiers  who  carried  rifles 
or  muskets  opened  a  hasty  and  excited  fire  at  some  dis- 
tance. 

Ned  heard  the  bullets  singing  over  his  head  or  saw 
them  kicking  up  dust  in  front  of  the  Texans,  but  only 
one  of  the  Texans  fell  and  but  few  were  wounded.  The 
Mexican  rifles  or  muskets  were  now  empty,  but  the  Mexi- 
can lancers  came  on  in  good  order  and  in  an  almost  solid 
group,  the  yellow  sunlight  flashing  across  the  long  blades 
of  their  lances. 

It  takes  a  great  will  to  face  sharp  steel  in  the  hands  of 
horsemen  thundering  down  upon  you,  and  Ned  was  quite 


168  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

willing  to  own  afterward  that  every  nerve  in  him  was 
jumping,  but  he  stood.  All  stood,  and  at  the  command 
of  Bowie  their  rifles  flashed  together  in  one  tremendous 
explosion. 

The  rifles  discharged,  the  Texans  instantly  snatched 
out  their  pistols,  ready  for  anything  that  might  come 
galloping  through  the  smoke.  But  nothing  came.  When 
the  smoke  lifted  they  saw  that  the  entire  front  of  the 
Mexican  column  was  gone.  Fallen  men  and  horses  were 
thick  on  the  plain  and  long  lances  lay  across  them.  Other 
horses,  riderless,  were  galloping  away  to  right  and  left, 
and  unhorsed  men  were  running  to  the  rear.  But  Urrea 
had  escaped  unharmed.  Ned  saw  him  trying  to  reform 
his  shattered  force. 

"Reload  your  rifles,  men !"  shouted  Bowie.  "You  can 
be  ready  for  them  before  they  come  again !" 

These  were  skilled  sharpshooters,  and  they  rammed  the 
loads  home  with  startling  rapidity.  Every  rifle  was 
loaded  and  a  finger  was  on  every  trigger  when  the  sec- 
ond charge  of  Urrea  swept  down  upon  them.  No  need 
of  a  command  from  Bowie  now.  The  Texans  picked 
their  targets  and  fired  straight  into  the  dense  group. 
Once  more  the  front  of  the  Mexican  column  was  shot 
away,  and  the  lances  fell  clattering  on  the  plain. 

"At  'em,  boys,  with  your  pistols!"  shouted  Bowie. 
"Don't  give  'em  a  second  chance !" 

The  Texans  rushed  forward,  firing  their  pistols.  Ned 
in  the  smoke  became  separated  from  his  comrades,  and 
when  he  could  see  more  clearly  he  beheld  but  a  single 
horseman.  The  man  was  Urrea. 

The  two  recognized  each  other  instantly.  The  Mexi- 
can had  the  advantage.  He  was  on  horseback  and  the 
smoke  was  in  Ned's  eyes,  not  his  own.  With  a  shout  of 
triumph,  he  rode  straight  at  the  boy  and  made  a  fierce 


CROCKETT   AND   BOWIE  169 

sweep  with  his  cavalry  saber.  It  was  fortunate  for  Ned 
that  he  was  agile  of  both  body  and  mind.  He  ducked  and 
leaped  to  one  side.  He  felt  the  swish  of  the  heavy  steel 
over  his  head,  but  as  he  came  up  again  he  fired. 

Urrea  was  protected  largely  by  his  horse's  neck,  and 
Ned  fired  at  the  horse  instead,  although  he  would  have 
greatly  preferred  Urrea  as  a  target.  The  bullet  struck 
true  and  the  horse  fell,  but  the  rider  leaped  clear  and,  still 
holding  the  saber,  sprang  at  his  adversary.  Ned  snatched 
up  his  rifle,  which  lay  on  the  ground  at  his  feet,  and  re- 
ceived the  slash  of  the  sword  upon  its  barrel.  The  blade 
broke  in  two,  and  then,  clubbing  his  rifle,  Ned  struck. 

It  was  fortunate  for  Urrea,  too,  that  he  was  agile  of 
mind  and  body.  He  sprang  back  quickly,  but  the  butt 
of  the  rifle  grazed  his  head  and  drew  blood.  The  next 
moment  other  combatants  came  between,  and  Urrea 
dashed  away  in  search  of  a  fresh  horse.  Ned,  his  blood 
on  fire,  was  rushing  after  him,  when  Bowie  seized  his 
arm  and  pulled  him  back. 

"No  further,  Ned!"  he  cried.  "We've  scattered  their 
cavalry  and  we  must  get  back  into  the  Alamo  or  the 
whole  Mexican  army  will  be  upon  us !" 

Ned  heard  far  away  the  beat  of  flying  hoofs.  It  was 
made  by  the  horses  of  the  Mexican  cavalry  fleeing  for 
their  lives.  Bowie  quickly  gathered  together  his  men, 
and  carrying  with  them  two  who  had  been  slain  in  the 
fight  they  retreated  rapidly  to  the  Alamo,  the  Texan  can- 
non firing  over  their  heads  at  the  advancing  Mexican  in- 
fantry. In  three  or  four  minutes  they  were  inside  the 
walls  again  and  with  their  comrades. 

The  Mexican  cavalry  did  not  reappear  upon  the  eastern 
road,  and  the  Texans  were  exultant,  yet  they  had  lost 
two  good  men  and  their  joy  soon  gave  way  to  more  sol- 
emn feelings.  It  was  decided  to  bury  the  slain  at  once 


i;o  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

in  the  plaza,  and  a  common  grave  was  made  for  them. 
They  were  the  first  of  the  Texans  to  fall  in  the  defence, 
and  their  fate  made  a  deep  impression  upon  everybody. 

It  took  only  a  few  minutes  to  dig  the  grave,  and  the 
men,  laid  side  by  side,  were  covered  with  their  cloaks. 
While  the  spades  were  yet  at  work  the  Mexican  cannon 
opened  anew  upon  the  Alamo.  A  ball  and  a  bomb  fell 
in  the  plaza.  The  shell  burst,  but  fortunately  too  far 
away  to  hurt  anybody.  Neither  the  bursting  of  the  shell 
nor  any  other  part  of  the  cannonade  interrupted  the 
burial. 

Crockett,  a  public  man  and  an  orator,  said  a  few  words. 
They  were  sympathetic  and  well  chosen.  He  spoke  of  the 
two  men  as  dying  for  Texas.  Others,  too,  would  fall  in 
the  defence  of  the  Alamo,  but  their  blood  would  water 
the  tree  of  freedom.  Then  they  threw  in  the  dirt.  While 
Crockett  was  speaking  the  cannon  still  thundered  with- 
out, but  every  word  could  be  heard  distinctly. 

When  Ned  walked  away  he  felt  to  the  full  the  deep 
solemnity  of  the  moment.  Hitherto  they  had  fought 
without  loss  to  themselves.  The  death  of  the  two  men 
now  cast  an  ominous  light  over  the  situation.  The  Mexi- 
can lines  were  being  drawn  closer  and  closer  about  the 
Alamo,  and  he  was  compelled  to  realize  the  slenderness 
of  their  chances. 

The  boy  resumed  his  place  on  the  wall,  remaining 
throughout  the  afternoon,  and  watched  the  coming  of 
the  night.  Crockett  joined  him,  and  together  they  saw 
troops  of  Mexicans  marching  away  from  the  main  body, 
some  to  right  and  some  to  left. 

"Stretchin'  their  lines,"  said  Crockett.  "Santa  Anna 
means  to  close  us  in  entirely  after  a  while.  Now,  by  the 
blue  blazes,  that  was  a  close  shave !" 

A  bullet  sang  by  his  head  and  flattened  against  the 


CROCKETT  AND   BOWIE  171 

wall.  He  and  Ned  dropped  down  just  in  time.  Other 
bullets  thudded  against  the  stone.  Nevertheless,  Ned 
lifted  his  head  above  the  edge  of  the  parapet  and  took  a 
look.  His  eyes  swept  a  circle  and  he  saw  little  puffs  of 
smoke  coming  from  the  roofs  and  windows  of  the  jacals 
or  Mexican  huts  on  their  side  of  the  river.  He  knew  at 
once  that  the  best  of  the  Mexican  sharpshooters  had  hid- 
den themselves  there,  and  had  opened  fire  not  with 
muskets,  but  with  improved  rifles.  He  called  Crockett's 
attention  to  this  point  of  danger  and  the  frontiersman 
grew  very  serious. 

"We've  got  to  get  'em  out  some  way  or  other,"  he 
said.  "As  I  said  before,  the  cannon  balls  make  a  big 
fuss,  but  they  don't  come  so  often  an'  they  come  at  ran- 
dom. It's  the  little  bullets  that  have  the  sting  of  the 
wasp,  an'  when  a  man  looks  down  the  sights,  draws  a 
bead  on  you,  an'  sends  one  of  them  lead  pellets  at  you, 
he  gen'rally  gets  you.  Ned,  we've  got  to  drive  them 
fellers  out  of  there  some  way  or  other." 

The  bullets  from  the  jacals  now  swept  the  walls  and 
the  truth  of  Crockett's  words  became  painfully  evident. 
The  Texan  cannon  fired  upon  the  huts,  but  the  balls  went 
through  the  soft  adobe  and  seemed  to  do  no  harm.  It 
was  like  firing  into  a  great  sponge.  Triumphant  shouts 
came  from  the  Mexicans.  Their  own  batteries  resumed 
the  cannonade,  while  their  sheltered  riflemen  sent  in  the 
bullets  faster  and  faster. 

Crockett  tapped  the  barrel  of  Betsy  significantly. 

"The  work  has  got  to  be  done  with  this  old  lady  an' 
others  like  her,"  he  said.  "We  must  get  rid  of  them 
jacals." 

"How?"  asked  Ned. 

"You  come  along  with  me  an'  I'll  show  you,"  said 
Crockett.  "I'm  goin'  to  have  a  talk  with  Travis,  an'  if 


•i;2  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

he  agrees  with  me  we'll  soon  wipe  out  that  wasps'  nest." 

Crockett  briefly  announced  his  plan,  which  was  bold  in 
the  extreme.  Sixty  picked  riflemen,  twenty  of  whom 
bore  torches  also,  would  rush  out  at  one  of  the  side  gates, 
storm  the  jacals,  set  fire  to  them,  and  then  rush  back  to 
the  Alamo. 

Travis  hesitated.  The  plan  seemed  impossible  of  exe- 
cution in  face  of  the  great  Mexican  force.  But  Bowie 
warmly  seconded  Crockett,  and  at  last  the  commander 
gave  his  consent.  Ned  at  once  asked  to  go  with  the  dar- 
ing troop,  and  secured  permission.  The  band  gathered 
in  a  close  body  by  one  of  the  gates.  The  torches  were 
long  sticks  lighted  at  the  end  and  burning  strongly.  The 
men  had  already  cocked  their  rifles*  but  knowing  the  im- 
mense risk  they  were  about  to  take  they  were  very  quiet. 
Ned  was  pale,  and  his  heart  beat  painfully,  but  his  hand 
did  not  shake. 

The  Texan  cannon,  to  cover  the  movement,  opened  fire 
from  the  walls,  and  the  riflemen,  posted  at  various  points, 
helped  also.  The  Mexican  cannonade  increased.  When 
the  thunder  and  crash  were  at  their  height  the  gate  was 
suddenly  thrown  open  and  the  sixty  dashed  out.  For- 
tunately the  drifting  smoke  hid  them  partially,  and  they 
were  almost  upon  the  jacals  before  they  were  discovered. 

A  great  shout  came  from  the  Mexicans  when  they  saw 
the  daring  Texans  outside,  and  bullets  from  the  jacals  be- 
gan to  knock  up  grass  and  dust  about  them.  But  Crockett 
himself,  waving  a  torch,  led  them  on,  shouting: 

"It's  only  a  step,  boys!  It's  only  a  step!  Now,  let 
'em  have  it !" 

The  Texans  fired  as  they  rushed,  but  they  took  care 
to  secure  good  aim.  The  Mexicans  were  driven  from 
the  roofs  and  the  windows  and  then  the  Texans  carrying 
the  torches  dashed  inside.  Every  house  contained  some- 


CROCKETT  AND   BOWIE  173 

thing  inflammable,  which  was  quickly  set  on  fire,  and  two 
or  three  huts  made  of  wood  were  lighted  in  a  dozen 
places. 

The  dry  materials  blazed  up  fast.  A  light  wind  fanned 
the  flames,  which  joined  together  and  leaped  up,  a  roaring 
pyramid.  The  Mexicans,  *who  had  lately  occupied  them, 
were  scuttling  like  rabbits  toward  their  main  force, 
and  the  Texan  bullets  made  them  jump  higher  and 
faster. 

Crockett,  with  a  shout  of  triumph,  flung  down  his 
torch. 

"Now,  boys,"  he  cried.  "Here's  the  end  of  them 
jacals.  Nothin'  on  earth  can  put  out  that  fire,  but  if  we 
don't  make  a  foot  race  back  to  the  Alamo  the  end  of  us 
will  be  here,  too,  in  a  minute." 

The  little  band  wheeled  for  its  homeward  rush.  Ned 
heard  a  great  shout  of  rage  from  the  Mexicans,  and  then 
the  hissing  and  singing  of  shells  and  cannon  balls  over 
his  head.  He  saw  Mexicans  running  across  the  plain  to 
cut  them  off,  but  his  comrades  and  he  had  reloaded  their 
rifles,  and  as  they  ran  they  sent  a  shower  of  bullets  that 
drove  back  their  foe. 

Ned's  heart  was  pumping  frightfully,  and  myriads  of 
black  specks  danced  before  his  eyes,  but  he  remembered 
afterward  that  he  calculated  how  far  they  were  from  the 
Alamo,  and  how  far  the  Mexicans  were  from  them.  A 
number  of  his  comrades  had  been  wounded,  but  nobody 
had  fallen  and  they  still  raced  in  a  close  group  for  the 
gate,  which  seemed  to  recede  as  they  rushed  on. 

"A  few  more  steps,  Ned,"  cried  Crockett,  "an*  we're 
in !  Ah,  there  go  our  friends !" 

The  Texan  cannon  over  their  heads  now  fired  into  the 
pursuing  Mexican  masses,  and  the  sharpshooters  on  the 
walls  also  poured  in  a  deadly  hail.  The  Mexicans  re- 


174  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

coiled  once  more  and  then  Crockett's  party  made  good 
the  gate. 

"All  here!"  cried  Crockett,  as  those  inside  held  up 
torches.  He  ran  over  the  list  rapidly  himself  and  counted 
them  all,  but  his  face  fell  when  he  saw  his  young  friend 
the  Bee-Hunter  stagger.  Crockett  caught  him  in  his  arms 
and  bore  him  into  the  hospital.  He  and  Ned  watched  by 
his  side  until  he  died,  which  was  very  soon.  Before  he 
became  unconscious  he  murmured  some  lines  from  an  old 
Scotch  poem: 

"But  hame  came  the  saddle,  all  bluidy  to  see, 
And  hame  came  the  steed,  but  never  hame  came  he." 

They  buried  him  that  night  beside  the  other  two,  and 
Ned  was  more  solemn  than  ever  when  he  sought  his 
usual  place  in  the  hospital  by  the  wall.  It  had  been  a 
day  of  victory  for  the  Texans,  but  the  omens,  neverthe- 
less, seemed  to  him  to  be  bad. 

The  next  day  he  saw  the  Mexicans  spreading  further 
and  further  about  the  Alamo,  and  they  were  in  such 
strong  force  that  the  Texans  could  not  now  afford  to  go 
out  and  attack  any  of  these  bands.  A  light  cold  rain  fell, 
and  as  he  was  not  on  duty  he  went  back  to  the  hospital, 
where  he  sat  in  silence. 

He  was  deeply  depressed  and  the  thunder  of  the  Mexi- 
can cannon  beat  upon  his  ears  like  the  voice  of  doom.  He 
felt  a  strange  annoyance  at  the  reports  of  the  guns.  His 
nerves  jumped,  and  he  became  angry  with  himself  at 
what  he  considered  a  childish  weakness. 

Now,  and  for  the  first  time,  he  felt  despair.  He  bor- 
rowed a  pencil  and  a  sheet  of  paper  torn  from  an  old 
memorandum  book  and  made  his  will.  His  possessions 
were  singularly  few,  and  the  most  valuable  at  hand  was 


CROCKETT   AND   BOWIE  175 

his  fine  long-barreled  rifle,  which  he  left  to  his  faithful 
friend,  Obed  White.  He  bequeathed  his  pistol  and  knife 
to  the  Panther,  and  his  clothes  to  Will  Allen.  He  was 
compelled  to  smile  at  himself  when  he  had  finished  his 
page  of  writing.  Was  it  likely  that  his  friends  would 
ever  find  this  paper,  or,  if  finding  it,  was  it  likely  that 
any  one  of  them  could  ever  obtain  his  inheritance?  But 
it  was  a  relief  to  his  feelings  and,  folding  the  paper,  he 
put  it  in  the  inside  pocket  of  his  hunting  shirt. 

The  bombardment  was  renewed  in  the  afternoon,  but 
Ned  stayed  in  his  place  in  the  hospital.  After  a  while 
Davy  Crockett  and  several  others  joined  him  there. 
Crockett  as  usual  was  jocular,  and  told  more  stories  of 
his  trips  to  the  large  eastern  cities.  He  had  just  finished 
an  anecdote  of  Philadelphia,  when  he  turned  suddenly 
to  Ned. 

"Boy,"  he  said,  "you  and  I  have  fought  together  more 
than  once  now,  an'  I  like  you.  You  are  brave  an'  you've 
a  head  full  of  sense.  When  you  grow  older  you'll  be 
worth  a  lot  to  Texas.  They'll  need  you  in  the  council. 
No,  don't  protest.  This  is  the  time  when  we  can  say 
what  is  in  us.  The  Mexican  circle  around  the  Alamo  is 
almost  complete.  Isn't  that  so,  boys  ?" 

"It  is." 

"Then  I'll  say  what  we  all  know.  Three  or  four  days 
from  now  the  chances  will  be  a  hundred  to  one  against 
any  of  us  ever  gettin'  out  of  here.  An'  you're  the  young- 
est of  the  defence,  Ned,  so  I  want  you  to  slip  out  to-night 
while  there's  yet  time.  Mebbe  you  can  get  up  a  big  lot 
of  men  to  come  to  our  help." 

Ned  looked  straight  at  Crockett,  and  the  veteran's 
eyes  wavered. 

"It's  a  little  scheme  you  have,"  said  Ned,  "to  get  me 
out  of  the  way.  You  think  because  I'm  the  youngest  I 


176  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

ought  to  go  off  alone  at  night  and  save  my  own  life. 
Well,  I'm  not  going.  I  intend  to  stay  here  and  fight  it 
out  with  the  rest  of  you." 

"I  meant  for  the  best,  boy,  I  meant  for  the  best,"  said 
Crockett.  "I'm  an  old  fellow  an'  I've  had  a  terrible  lot 
of  fun  in  my  time.  About  as  much,  I  guess,  as  one  man 
is  entitled  to,  but  you've  got  all  your  life  before  you." 

"Couldn't  think  of  it,"  said  Ned  lightly ;  "besides,  I've 
got  a  password  in  case  I'm  taken  by  Santa  Anna." 

"What's  that?"  asked  Crockett  curiously. 

"It's  the  single  word  'Roylston.'  Mr.  Roylston  told 
me  if  I  were  taken  by  Santa  Anna  to  mention  his  name 
to  him." 

"That's  queer,  an'  then  maybe  it  ain't,"  said  Crockett 
musingly.  "I've  heard  a  lot  of  John  Roylston.  He's 
about  the  biggest  trader  in  the  southwest.  I  guess  he 
must  have  some  sort  of  a  financial  hold  on  Santa  Anna, 
who  is  always  wantin'  money.  Ned,  if  the  time  should 
ever  come,  don't  you  forget  to  use  that  password." 

The  next  night  was  dark  and  chilly  with  gusts  of  rain. 
In  the  afternoon  the  Mexican  cannonade  waned,  and 
at  night  it  ceased  entirely.  The  Alamo  itself,  except  for 
a  few  small  lights  within  the  buildings,  was  kept  entirely 
dark  in  order  that  skulking  sharpshooters  without  might 
not  find  a  target. 

Ned  was  on  watch  near  one  of  the  lower  walls  about 
the  plaza.  He  wrapped  his  useful  scrape  closely  about 
his  body  and  the  lower  part  of  his  face  in  order  to  pro- 
tect himself  from  the  cold  and  wet,  and  the  broad  brim  of 
his  sombrero  was  drawn  down  to  meet  it.  The  other 
Texans  on  guard  were  protected  in  similar  fashion,  and 
in  the  flitting  glimpses  that  Ned  caught  of  them  they 
looked  to  him  like  men  in  disguise. 

The  time  went  on  very  slowly.    In  the  look  backward 


CROCKETT   AND   BOWIE  177 

every  hour  in  the  Alamo  seemed  to  him  as  ten.  He 
walked  back  and  forth  a  long  time,  occasionally  meeting 
other  sentinels,  and  exchanging  a  few  words  with  them. 
Once  he  glanced  at  their  cattle,  which  were  packed  closely 
under  a  rough  shed,  where  they  lay,  groaning  with  con- 
tent. Then  he  went  back  to  the  wall  and  noticed  the  dim 
figure  of  one  of  the  sentinels  going  toward  the  convent 
yard  and  the  church. 

Ned  took  only  a  single  glance  at  the  man,  but  he  rathef 
envied  him.  The  man  was  going  off  duty  early,  and  he 
would  soon  be  asleep  in  a  warm  place  under  a  roof.  He 
did  not  think  of  him  again  until  a  full  hour  later,  when 
he,  too,  going  off  duty,  saw  a  figure  hidden  in  scrape  and 
sombrero  passing  along  the  inner  edge  of  the  plaza.  The 
walk  and  figure  reminded  him  of  the  man  whom  he  had 
seen  an  hour  before,  and  he  wondered  why  any  one  who 
could  have  been  asleep  under  shelter  should  have  re- 
turned to  the  cold  and  rain. 

He  decided  to  follow,  but  the  figure  flitted  away  be- 
fore him  down  the  plaza  and  toward  the  lowest  part  of 
the  wall.  This  was  doubly  curious.  Moreover,  it  was 
ground  for  great  suspicion.  Ned  followed  swiftly.  He 
saw  the  figure  mounting  the  wall,  as  if  to  take  position 
there  as  a  sentinel,  and  then  the  truth  came  to  him  in  a 
flash.  It  was  Urrea  playing  the  congenial  role  of  spy. 

Ned  rushed  forward,  shouting.  Urrea  turned,  snatched 
a  pistol  and  fired.  The  bullet  whistled  past  Ned's  head. 
The  next  moment  Urrea  dropped  over  the  wall  and  fled 
away  in  the  darkness.  The  other  sentinels  were  not  able 
to  obtain  a  shot  at  him. 


CHAPTER  XI 
THE  DESPERATE  DEFENCE 

NED'S  report  created  some  alarm  among  the  de- 
fenders of  the  Alamo,  but  it  passed  quickly. 
"I  don't  see  just  how  it  can  help  'em,"  said 
Crockett.     "He's  found  out  that  we're  few  in  number. 
They  already  knew  that.     He's  learned  that  the  Alamo 
is  made  up  of  a  church  an'  other  buildings  with  walls 
'roun'  them.     They  already  knew  that,  too,  an'  so  here 
we  all  are,  Texans  an'  Mexicans,  just  where  we  stood 
before." 

Nevertheless,  the  bombardment  rose  to  a  fiercer  pitch 
of  intensity  the  next  day.  The  Mexicans  seemed  to  have 
an  unlimited  supply  of  ammunition,  and  they  rained  balls 
and  shells  on  the  Alamo.  Many  of  the  shells  did  not 
burst,  and  the  damage  done  was  small.  The  Texans  did 
not  reply  from  the  shelter  of  their  walls  for  a  long  time. 
At  last  the  Mexicans  came  closer,  emboldened  perhaps 
by  the  thought  that  resistance  was  crushed,  and  then  the 
Texan  sharpshooters  opened  fire  with  their  long-barreled 
rifles. 

The  Texans  had  two  or  three  rifles  apiece,  and  they 
poured  in  a  fast  and  deadly  fire.  So  many  of  the  Mexi- 
cans fell  that  the  remainder  retreated  with  speed,  leaving 
the  fallen  behind  them.  But  when  the  smoke  lifted 
others  came  forward  under  a  white  flag,  and  the  Texans 
allowed  them  to  take  away  their  dead. 

The  cannonade  now  became  spasmodic.    All  the  Mexi- 
178 


THE  DESPERATE  DEFENCE     179 

can  cannon  would  fire  continuously  for  a  half  hour  or 
so,  and  then  would  ensue  a  silence  of  perhaps  an  hour. 

In  the  afternoon  Bowie  was  taken  very  ill,  owing  to 
his  great  exertions,  and  a  bed  was  made  for  him  in  the 
hospital.  Ned  sat  there  with  him  a  while.  The  gentle 
mood  that  had  distinguished  the  Georgian  throughout  the 
siege  was  even  more  marked  now. 

"Ned,"  he  said,  "you  ought  to  have  gone  out  the  other 
night  when  we  wanted  you  to  go.  Fannin  may  come  to 
our  help  or  he  may  not,  but  even  if  he  should  come  I 
don't  think  his  force  is  sufficient.  It  would  merely  in- 
crease the  number  of  Texans  in  the  trap." 

"I've  quite  made  up  my  mind  that  I  won't  go,"  said 
Ned. 

"I'm  sorry,"  said  Bowie.  "As  for  me,  it's  different. 
I'm  a  man  of  violence,  Ned.  I  don't  deny  it.  There's 
human  blood  on  my  hands,  and  some  of  it  is  that  of  my 
own  countrymen.  I've  done  things  that  I'd  like  to  call 
back,  and  so  I'm  glad  to  be  here,  one  of  a  forlorn  hope, 
fighting  for  Texas.  It's  a  sort  of  atonement,  and  if  I 
fall  I  think  it  will  be  remembered  in  my  favor." 

Ned  was  singularly  impressed.  Crockett  had  talked 
in  much  the  same  way.  Could  these  men,  heroes  of  a 
thousand  dangers,  have  really  given  up?  Not  to  give  up 
in  the  sense  of  surrender,  but  to  expect  death  fighting? 
But  for  himself  he  could  not  believe  such  a  thing  pos- 
sible. Youth  was  too  strong  in  him. 

He  was  on  the  watch  again  for  part  of  the  next  night, 
and  he  and  Crockett  were  together.  They  heard  sounds 
made  by  the  besiegers  on  every  side  of  them.  Mexicans 
were  calling  to  Mexicans.  Bridle  bits  rattled,  and  metal 
clanked  against  metal. 

"I  suppose  the  circle  is  complete,"  said  Ned. 

"Looks  like  it,"  said  Crockett,  "but  we've  got  our  cattle 


i8o  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

to  eat  an'  water  to  drink  an'  only  a  direct  attack  in  force 
can  take  us.  They  can  bang  away  with  their  cannon  till 
next  Christmas  an'  they  won't  shake  our  grip  on  the 
Alamo." 

The  night  was  fairly  dark,  and  an  hour  later  Ned 
heard  a  whistle.  Crockett  beard  it,  too,  and  stiffened 
instantly  into  attention. 

"Did  that  sound  to  you  like  a  Mexican  whistling  ?"  he 
asked. 

"No,  I'd  say  it  came  from  American  lips,  and  I'd  take 
it  also  for  a  signal." 

"An'  so  it  is.  It's  just  such  a  whistle  as  hunters  use 
when  they  want  to  talk  to  one  another  without  words. 
I've  whistled  to  my  pardners  that  way  in  the  woods 
hundreds  of  times.  I  think,  Ned,  that  some  Texans  are 
at  hand  waitin'  a  chance  to  slip  in." 

Crockett  emitted  a  whistle,  low  but  clear  and  penetrat- 
ing, almost  like  the  song  of  a  night  bird,  and  in  a  half 
minute  came  the  rejoinder.  He  replied  to  it  briefly,  and 
then  they  waited.  Others  had  gathered  at  the  low  plaza 
wall  with  them.  Hidden  to  the  eyes,  they  peered  over  the 
parapet. 

They  heard  soft  footsteps  in  the  darkness,  and  then 
dim  forms  emerged.  Despite  the  darkness  they  knew 
them  to  be  Texans,  and  Crockett  spoke  low : 

"Here  we  are,  boys,  waitin'  for  you !  This  way  an' 
in  a  half  minute  you're  in  the  Alamo !" 

The  men  ran  forward,  scaled  the  wall  and  were  quickly 
inside.  They  were  only  thirty-two.  Ned  had  thought 
that  the  Panther,  Obed,  and  Will  Allen  might  be  among 
them,  but  they  were  not  there.  The  new  men  were  shak- 
ing hands  with  the  others  and  were  explaining  that  they 
had  come  from  Gonzales  with  Captain  Smith  at  their 
head.  They  were  all  well  armed,  carried  much  ammuni- 


THE  DESPERATE  DEFENCE     181 

tion,  and  were  sure  that  other  parties  would  arrive  from 
different  points. 

The  thirty-two  were  full  of  rejoicings  over  their  suc- 
cessful entry,  but  they  were  worn,  nevertheless,  and  they 
were  taken  into  one  of  the  buildings,  where  food  and 
water  were  set  before  them.  Ned  stood  by,  an  eager 
auditor,  as  they  told  of  their  adventures. 

"We  had  a  hard  time  to  get  in  here  to  you,"  said  Cap- 
tain Smith,  "and  from  the  looks  of  things  I  reckon  we'll 
have  as  hard  a  time  to  get  out.  There  must  be  a  million 
Mexicans  around  the  Alamo.  We  tried  to  get  up  a  big- 
ger force,  but  we  couldn't  gather  any  more  without 
waiting,  and  we  thought  if  you  needed  us  at  all  you 
needed  us  in  a  hurry." 

"Reckon  you're  right  about  the  need  of  bein'  in  a 
hurry,"  said  Crockett.  "When  you  want  help  you  want 
it  right  then  an'  there." 

"So  you  do,"  said  Smith,  as  he  took  a  fresh  piece  of 
steak,  "and  we  had  it  in  mind  all  the  time.  The  wind  was 
blowing  our  way,  and  in  the  afternoon  we  heard  the  roar- 
ing of  cannon  a  long  distance  off.  Then  as  we  came 
closer  we  heard  Mexicans  buzzing  all  around  the  main 
swarm,  scouts  and  skirmishers  everywhere. 

"We  hid  in  an  arroyo  and  waited  until  dark.  Then 
we  rode  closer  and  found  that  there  would  never  be  any 
chance  to  get  into  the  Alamo  on  horseback.  We  took 
the  saddles  and  bridles  off  our  horses,  and  turned  them 
loose  on  the  prairie.  Then  we  undertook  to  get  in  here, 
but  it  was  touch  and  go.  I  tell  you  it  was  touch  and  go. 
We  wheeled  and  twisted  and  curved  and  doubled,  until 
our  heads  got  dizzy.  Wherever  we  went  we  found  Mexi- 
cans, thousands  of  'em." 

"We've  noticed  a  few  ourselves,"  said  Crockett. 

"It  was  pretty  late  when  we  struck  an  opening,  and 


182  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

then  not  being  sure  we  whistled.  When  we  heard  you 
whistle  back  we  made  straight  for  the  wall,  and  here 
we  are." 

"We're  mighty  glad  to  see  you,"  said  Crockett,  "but 
we  ain't  welcomin'  you  to  no  picnic.  I  reckon  you  under- 
stand that,  don't  you,  Jim  Smith?" 

"We  understand  it,  every  one  of  us,"  replied  Smith 
gravely.  "We  heard  before  we  started,  and  now  we've 
seen.  We  know  that  Santa  Anna  himself  is  out  there, 
and  that  the  Mexicans  have  got  a  big  army.  That's  the 
reason  we  came,  Davy  Crockett,  because  the  odds  are  so 
heavy  against  you." 

"You're  a  true  man,"  said  Crockett,  "and  so  is  every 
one  of  these  with  you." 

The  new  force  was  small — merely  a  few  more  for  the 
trap — but  they  brought  with  them  encouragement.  Ned 
shared  in  the  general  mental  uplift.  These  new  faces 
were  very  welcome,  indeed.  They  gave  fresh  vigor  to 
the  little  garrison,  and  they  brought  news  of  that  outside 
world  from  which  he  seemed  to  have  been  shut  off  so 
long.  They  told  of  numerous  parties  sure  to  come  to 
their  relief,  but  he  soon  noticed  that  they  did  not  par- 
ticularize. He  felt  with  certainty  that  the  Alamo  now 
had  all  the  defenders  that  it  would  ever  have. 

Repeated  examinations  from  the  walls  of  the  church 
confirmed  Ned  in  his  belief.  The  Mexican  circle  was 
complete,  and  their  sheltered  batteries  were  so  near 
that  they  dropped  balls  and  shells  whenever  they  pleased 
inside  the  Alamo.  Duels  between  the  cannon  and  the 
Texan  sharpshooters  were  frequent.  The  gunners  as 
they  worked  their  guns  were  forced  to  show  themselves 
at  times,  and  every  exposure  was  instantly  the  signal  for 
a  Texan  bullet  which  rarely  missed.  But  the  Mexicans 
kept  on.  It  seemed  that  they  intended  to  wear  out  the 


THE  DESPERATE  DEFENCE     183 

defenders  by  the  sheer  persistency  of  their  cannon  fire. 

Ned  became  so  hardened  to  the  bombardment  that  he 
paid  little  attention  to  it.  Even  when  a  ball  fell  inside 
the  Alamo  the  chances  were  several  hundred  to  one  that 
it  would  not  hit  him.  He  had  amused  himself  with  a 
mathematical  calculation  of  the  amount  of  space  he  oc- 
cupied compared  with  the  amount  of  space  in  the  Alamo. 
Thus  he  arrived  at  the  result,  which  indicated  compara- 
tively little  risk  for  himself. 

The  shrewdest  calculations  are  often  wrong.  As  he 
passed  through  the  convent  yard  he  met  Crockett,  and 
the  two  walked  on  together.  But  before  they  had  gone 
half  a  dozen  steps  a  bomb  hissed  through  the  air,  fell  and 
rolled  to  their  feet.  It  was  still  hissing  and  smoking, 
but  Ned,  driven  by  some  unknown  impulse,  seized  it  and 
with  a  mighty  effort  hurled  it  over  the  wall,  where  it 
burst.  Then  he  stood  licking  his  burned  fingers  and 
looking  rather  confusedly  at  Crockett.  He  felt  a  certain 
shyness  over  what  he  had  done. 

The  veteran  frontiersman  had  already  formed  a  great 
affection  for  the  boy.  He  knew  that  Ned's  impulse  had 
come  from  a  brave  heart  and  a  quick  mind,  and  that  he 
had  probably  saved  both  their  lives.  He  took  a  great 
resolution  that  this  boy,  the  youngest  of  all  the  defenders, 
should  be  saved. 

"That  was  done  well,  Ned,"  he  said  quietly.  "I'm 
glad,  boy,  that  I've  known  you.  I'd  be  proud  if  you  were 
a  son  of  mine.  We  can  talk  plainly  here  with  death  all 
around  us.  You've  got  a  lot  in  that  head  of  yours.  You 
ought  to  make  a  great  man,  a  great  man  for  Texas. 
Won't  you  do  what  I  say  and  slip  out  of  the  Alamo  while 
there's  still  a  chance  ?" 

Ned  was  much  moved,  but  he  kept  his  resolution  as 
he  had  kept  it  before.  He  shook  his  head. 


184  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"You  are  all  very  good  to  me  here,"  he  said.  "Mr. 
Bowie,  too,  has  asked  me  to  go,  but  if  I  should  do  so 
and  the  rest  of  you  were  to  fall  I'd  be  ashamed  of  myself 
all  the  rest  of  my  life.  I'm  a  Texan  now,  and  I'm  going 
to  see  it  through  with  the  rest  of  you." 

"All  right,"  said  Crockett  lightly.  "I've  heard  that 
you  can  lead  a  horse  to  the  water,  but  you  can't  make  him 
drink,  an'  if  a  boy  don't  want  to  go  you  can't  make  him 
go.  So  we'll  just  go  into  this  little  improvised  armory 
of  ours,  an'  you  an'  I  will  put  in  our  time  moldin'  bullets." 

They  entered  one  of  the  adobe  buildings.  A  fire  had 
been  built  on  the  hearth,  and  a  half  dozen  Texans  were 
already  busy  there.  But  they  quickly  made  room  for 
Crockett  and  Ned.  Crockett  did  not  tell  Ned  that  their 
supplies  of  powder  and  lead  were  running  low,  and 
that  they  must  reduce  their  fire  from  the  walls  in  or- 
der that  they  might  have  sufficient  to  meet  an  attack  in 
force. 

But  it  was  a  cheerful  little  party  that  occupied  itself 
with  molding  bullets.  Ned  put  a  bar  of  lead  into  a  ladle, 
and  held  it  over  the  fire  until  the  bar  became  molten. 
Then  he  poured  it  into  the  mold  until  it  was  full,  closed 
it,  and  when  he  opened  it  again  a  shining  bullet  dropped 
out.  He  worked  hour  after  hour.  His  face  became 
flushed  with  the  heat,  but  with  pride  he  watched  his 
heap  of  bullets  grow. 

Crockett  at  last  said  they  had  done  enough  for  one  day, 
and  Ned  was  glad  when  they  went  outside  and  breathed 
the  fresh  air  again.  There  was  no  firing  at  that  time,  and 
they  climbed  once  more  upon  the  church  wall.  Ned 
looked  out  upon  the  scene,  every  detail  of  which  was  so 
familiar  to  him  now.  But  conspicuous,  and  seeming  to 
dominate  all,  was  the  blood-red  flag  of  no  quarter  floating 
from  the  tower  of  the  church  of  San  Fernando.  Wind 


THE  DESPERATE  DEFENCE     185 

and  rain  had  not  dimmed  its  bright  color.  The  menace 
in  its  most  vivid  hue  was  always  there. 

Travis,  who  was  further  along  the  wall  with  a  pair  of 
strong  field  glasses,  came  back  and  joined  Ned  and 
Crockett. 

"If  you  would  like  to  see  Santa  Anna  you  can,"  he 
said  to  Ned.  "He  is  on  the  church  of  San  Fernando  now 
with  his  generals  looking  at  us.  Take  these  glasses  and 
your  gaze  may  meet  his." 

Ned  took  the  glasses,  and  there  was  Santa  Anna  stand- 
ing directly  under  the  folds  of  the  banner  with  his  own 
glasses  to  his  eyes,  studying  the  Alamo  and  its  defenders. 
About  him  stood  a  half  dozen  generals.  Ned's  heart 
swelled  with  anger.  The  charm  and  genius  of  Santa 
Anna  made  him  all  the  more  repellent  now.  Ned 
knew  that  he  would  break  any  promise  if  it  suited  him, 
and  that  cunning  and  treachery  were  his  most  potent 
tools. 

Santa  Anna,  at  that  very  moment,  was  discussing  with 
Sesma,  Cos,  Gaona  and  others  the  question  of  an  im- 
mediate assault  with  his  whole  army  upon  the  Alamo. 
They  had  heard  rumors  of  an  advance  by  Fannin  with 
help  for  the  Texans,  but,  while  some  of  the  younger 
spirits  wished  prompt  attack,  Santa  Anna  decided  on 
delay. 

The  dictator  doubted  whether  Fannin  would  come  up, 
and  if  he  did  he  would  merely  put  so  many  more  rats  in 
the  trap.  Santa  Anna  felt  secure  in  his  vast  preponder- 
ance of  numbers.  He  would  take  the  Texans  in  his  own 
good  time,  that  is,  whenever  he  felt  like  it.  He  did  not 
care  to  hurry,  because  he  was  enjoying  himself  greatly 
in  San  Antonio.  Capable  of  tremendous  energy  at 
times,  he  gave  himself  up  at  other  times  to  Babylonian 
revels. 


186  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

Ned  handed  the  glasses  to  Crockett,  who  also  took  a 
3ong  look. 

"I've  heard  a  lot  of  Santa  Anna,"  he  said,  "an'  maybe 
I'll  yet  meet  him  eye  to  eye." 

"'It's  possible,"  said  Travis,  "but,  Davy,  we've  got  to 
Wait  on  the  Mexicans.  It's  always  for  them  to  make  the 
move,  and  then  we'll  meet  it  if  we  can.  I  wish  we  could 
hear  from  Bonham.  I'm  afraid  he's  been  taken." 

"Not  likely,"  said  Crockett.  "One  man,  all  alone,  an' 
as  quick  of  eye  an'  foot  as  Bonham,  would  be  pretty  sure 
to  make  his  way  safely." 

"I  certainly  hope  so,"  said  Travis.  "At  any  rate,  I 
intend  to  send  out  another  letter  soon.  If  the  Texans 
are  made  to  realize  our  situation  they  will  surely  come, 
no  matter  how  far  away  they  may  be." 

"I  hope  they  will,"  said  Crockett.  But  Ned  noticed 
that  he  did  not  seem  to  speak  with  any  great  amount  of 
confidence.  Balancing  everything  as  well  as  he  could,  he 
did  not  see  how  much  help  could  be  expected.  The  Texan 
towns  were  tiny.  The  whole  fringe  of  Texan  settlements 
was  small.  The  Texans  were  but  fifty  or  sixty  thousands 
against  the  seven  or  eight  millions  of  Mexico,  and  now 
that  they  knew  a  great  Mexican  army  was  in  Texas  the 
scattered  borderers  would  be  hard  put  to  it  to  defend 
themselves.  He  did  not  believe  that  in  any  event  they 
could  gather  a  force  great  enough  to  cut  its  way  through 
the  coil  of  Santa  Anna's  multitude. 

But  Travis'  faith  in  Bonham,  at  least,  was  justified. 
The  next  night,  about  halfway  between  midnight  and 
morning,  in  the  darkest  hour,  a  man  scaled  the  wall  and 
dropped  inside  the  plaza.  It  proved  to  be  Bonham  him- 
self, pale,  worn,  covered  with  mud  and  dust,  but  bringing 
glad  tidings.  Ned  was  present  when  he  came  into  the 
church  and  was  met  by  Travis,  Bowie,  Crockett  and 


THE  DESPERATE  DEFENCE     187 

Smith.  Only  a  single  torch  lighted  up  the  grim  little 
group. 

"Fannin  has  left  Goliad  with  300  men  and  four  cannon 
to  join  us,"  Bonham  said.  "He  started  five  days  ago, 
and  he  should  be  here  soon.  With  his  rifles  and  big 
guns  he'll  be  able  to  cut  his  way  through  the  Mexicans 
and  enter  the  Alamo." 

"I  think  so,  too,"  said  Travis,  with  enthusiasm. 

But  Ned  steadily  watched  Bowie  and  Crockett.  They 
were  the  men  of  experience,  and  in  matters  such  as  these 
they  had  minds  of  uncommon  penetration.  He  noticed 
that  neither  of  them  said  anything,  and  that  they  showed 
no  elation. 

Everybody  in  the  Alamo  knew  the  next  day  that  Bon- 
ham  had  come  from  Fannin,  and  the  whole  place  was 
filled  with  new  hope.  As  Ned  reckoned,  it  was  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  San  Antonio  de  Bexar  to 
Goliad;  but,  according  to  Borham,  Fannin  had  already 
been  five  days  on  the  way,  and  they  should  hear  soon 
the  welcome  thunder  of  his  guns.  He  eagerly  scanned 
the  southeast,  in  which  direction  lay  Goliad,  but  the  only 
human  beings  he  saw  were  Mexicans.  No  sound  came 
to  his  ears  but  the  note  of  a  Mexican  trumpet  or  the 
crack  of  a  vaquero's  whip. 

He  was  not  the  only  one  who  looked  and  listened.  They 
watched  that  day  and  the  next  through  all  the  bombard- 
ment and  the  more  dangerous  rifle  fire.  But  they  never 
saw  on  the  horizon  the  welcome  flash  from  any  of  Fan- 
nin's  guns.  No  sound  that  was  made  by  a  friend  reached 
their  ears.  The  only  flashes  of  fire  they  saw  outside 
were  those  that  came  from  the  mouths  of  Mexican  can- 
non, and  the  only  sounds  they  heard  beyond  the  Alamo 
were  made  by  the  foe.  The  sun,  huge,  red  and  vivid, 
sank  in  the  prairie  and,  as  the  shadows  thickened  over 


'i88  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

the  Alamo,  Ned  was  sure  in  his  heart  that  Fannin  would 

never  come. 

******* 

A  few  days  before  the  defenders  of  the  Alamo  had 
begun  to  scan  the  southeast  for  help  a  body  of  300  men 
were  marching  toward  San  Antonio  de  Bexar.  They 
were  clad  in  buckskin  and  they  were  on  horseback. 
Their  faces  were  tanned  and  bore  all  the  signs  of  hard- 
ship. Near  the  middle  of  the  column  four  cannon  drawn 
by  oxen  rumbled  along,  and  behind  them  came  a  heavy 
wagon  loaded  with  ammunition. 

It  was  raining,  and  the  rain  was  the  raw  cold  rain  of 
early  spring  in  the  southwest.  The  men,  protecting  them- 
selves as  well  as  they  could  with  cloaks  and  scrapes, 
rarely  spoke.  The  wheels  of  the  cannon  cut  great  ruts 
in  the  prairie,  and  the  feet  of  the  horses  sank  deep  in  the 
mud. 

Two  men  and  a  boy  rode  near  the  head  of  the  column. 
One  of  these  would  have  attracted  attention  anywhere 
by  his  gigantic  size.  He  was  dressed  completely  in  buck- 
skin, save  for  the  raccoon  skin  cap  that  crowned  his  thick 
black  hair.  The  rider  on  his  right  hand  was  long  and 
thin  with  the  calm  countenance  of  a  philosopher,  and  the 
one  on  his  left  was  an  eager  and  impatient  boy. 

"I  wish  this  rain  would  stop,"  said  the  Panther,  his 
ensanguined  eye  expressing  impatience  and  anger.  "I 
don't  mind  gettin'  cold  an'  I  don't  mind  gettin'  wet,  but 
there  is  nothin'  stickier  or  harder  to  plough  through  than 
the  Texas  mud.  An'  every  minute  counts.  Them  boys 
in  that  Alamo  can't  fight  off  thousands  of  Mexicans  for- 
ever. Look  at  them  steers !  Did  you  ever  see  anything 
go  as  slow  as  they  do?" 

"I'd  like  to  see  Ned  again,"  said  Will  Allen.  "I'd  be 
willing  to  take  my  chance  with  him  there." 


THE  DESPERATE  DEFENCE     189 

"That  boy  of  ours  is  surely  with  Crockett  and  Bowie 
and  Travis  and  the  others,  helping  to  fight  off  Santa 
Anna  and  his  horde,"  said  Obed  White.  "Bonham 
couldn't  have  made  any  mistake  about  him.  If  we  had 
seen  Bonham  himself  we  could  have  gone  with  him  to  the 
Alamo." 

"But  he  gave  Ned's  name  to  Colonel  Fannin,"  said 
Will,  "and  so  it's  sure  to  be  he." 

"Our  comrade  is  certainly  there,"  said  Obed  White, 
"and  we've  got  to  help  rescue  him  as  well  as  help  rescue 
the  others.  It's  hard  not  to  hurry  on  by  ourselves,  but 
we  can  be  of  most  help  by  trying  to  push  on  this  force, 
although  it  seems  as  if  everything  had  conspired  against 
us." 

"It  shorely  looks  as  if  things  was  tryin'  to  keep  us 
back,"  exclaimed  the  Panther  angrily.  "We've  had  such 
a  hard  time  gettin'  these  men  together,  an'  look  at  this 
rain  an'  this  mud !  We  ought  to  be  at  Bexar  right  now, 
a-roarin',  an'  a-t'arin',  an'  a-rippin',  an'  a-chawin'  among 
them  Mexicans !" 

"Patience!  Patience!"  said  Obed  White  soothingly. 
"Sometimes  the  more  haste  the  oftener  you  trip." 

"Patience  gon  our  part  ain't  much  good  to  men  sixty 
or  eighty  miles  away,  who  need  us  yelling'  an'  shootin' 
for  them  this  very  minute." 

"I'm  bound  to  own  that  what  you  say  is  so,"  said  Obed 
White. 

They  relapsed  into  silence.  The  pace  of  the  column 
grew  slower.  The  men  were  compelled  to  adapt  them- 
selves to  the  cannon  and  ammunition  wagon,  which  were 
now  almost  mired.  The  face  of  the  Panther  grew  black 
as  thunder  with  impatience  and  anger,  but  he  forced 
himself  into  silence. 

They  stopped  a  little  while  at  noon  and  scanty  rations 


190  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

were  doled  out.  They  had  started  in  such  haste  that  they 
had  only  a  little*  rice  and  dried  beef,  and  there  was  no 
time  to  hunt  game. 

They  started  again  in  a  half  hour,  creeping  along 
through  the  mud,  and  the  Panther  was  not  the  only  man 
who  uttered  hot  words  of  impatience  under  his  breath. 
They  were  nearing  the  San  Antonio  River  now,  and 
Fannin  began  to  show  anxiety  about  the  fort.  But  the 
Panther  was  watching  the  ammunition  wagon,  which  was 
sinking  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  mire.  It  seemed  to 
him  that  it  was  groaning  and  creaking  too  much  even 
for  the  deep  mud  through  which  it  was  passing. 

The  driver  of  the  ammunition  wagon  cracked  his  long 
whip  over  the  oxen  and  they  tugged  at  the  yoke.  The 
wheels  were  now  down  to  the  hub,  and  the  wagon  ceased 
to  move.  The  driver  cracked  his  whip  again  and  again, 
and  the  oxen  threw  their  full  weight  into  the  effort.  The 
wheels  slowly  rose  from  their  sticky  bed,  but  then  some- 
thing cracked  with  a  report  like  a  pistol  shot.  The  Pan- 
ther groaned  aloud,  because  he  knew  what  had  happened. 

The  axle  of  the  wagon  had  broken,  and  it  was  useless. 
They  distributed  the  ammunition,  including  the  cannon 
balls,  which  they  put  in  sacks,  as  well  as  they  could, 
among  the  horsemen,  and  went  on.  They  did  not  com- 
plain, but  every  one  knew  that  it  was  a  heavy  blow.  In 
two  more  hours  they  came  to  the  banks  of  the  muddy 
San  Antonio,  and  stared  in  dismay  at  the  swollen  cur- 
rent. It  was  evident  at  once  to  everybody  that  the  pas- 
sage would  be  most  difficult  for  the  cannon,  which,  like 
the  ammunition  wagon,  were  drawn  by  oxen. 

The  river  was  running  deep,  with  muddy  banks,  and  a 
muddy  bottom,  and,  taking  the  lightest  of  the  guns,  they 
tried  first  to  get  it  across.  Many  of  the  men  waded  neck 
deep  into  the  water  and  strove  at  the  wheels.  But  the 


THE  DESPERATE  DEFENCE     191 

stream  went  completely  over  the  cannon,  which  also  sank 
deeper  and  deeper  in  the  oozy  bottom.  It  then  became 
an  effort  to  save  the  gun.  The  Panther  put  all  his 
strength  at  the  wheel,  and,  a  dozen  others  helping,  they 
at  last  got  it  back  to  the  bank  from  which  they  had 
started. 

Fannin,  not  a  man  of  great  decision,  looked  deeply  dis- 
couraged, but  the  Panther  and  others  urged  him  on  to 
new  attempts.  The  Panther,  himself,  as  he  talked,  bore 
the  aspect  of  a  huge  river  god.  Yellow  water  streamed 
from  his  hair,  beard,  and  clothing,  and  formed  a  little 
pool  about  him.  But  he  noticed  it  not  at  all,  urging  the 
men  on  with  all  the  fiery  energy  which  a  dauntless  mind 
had  stored  in  a  frame  so  great  and  capable. 

"If  it  can  be  done  the  Panther  will  get  the  guns 
across,"  said  Will  to  Obed. 

"That's  so,"  said  Obed,  "but  who'd  have  thought  of 
this  ?  When  we  started  out  we  expected  to  have  our  big 
fight  with  an  army  and  not  with  a  river." 

They  took  the  cannon  into  the  water  a  second  time,  but 
the  result  was  the  same.  They  could  not  get  it  across, 
and  with  infinite  exertion  they  dragged  it  back  to  the 
bank.  Then  they  looked  at  one  another  in  despair.  They 
could  ford  the  river,  but  it  seemed  madness  to  go  on 
without  the  cannon.  While  they  debated  there,  a  mes- 
senger came  with  news  that  the  investment  of  the  Alamo 
by  Santa  Anna  was  now  complete.  He  gave  what  rumor 
said,  and  rumor  told  that  the  Mexican  army  numbered 
ten  or  twelve  thousand  men  with  fifty  or  sixty  guns. 
Santa  Anna's  force  was  so  great  that  already  he  was 
sending  off  large  bodies  to  the  eastward  to  attack  Texan 
detachments  wherever  they  could  be  found. 

Fannin  held  an  anxious  council  with  his  officers.  It 
was  an  open  talk  on  the  open  prairie,  and  anybody  who 


192  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

chose  could  listen.  Will  Allen  and  Obed  White  said 
nothing,  but  the  Panther  was  vehement. 

"We've  got  to  get  there!"  he  exclaimed.  "We  can't 
leave  our  people  to  die  in  the  Alamo !  We've  got  to  cut 
our  way  through,  an',  if  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst, 
die  with  them!" 

"That  would  benefit  nobody,"  said  Fannin.  "We've 
made  every  human  effort  to  get  our  cannon  across  the 
river,  and  we  have  failed.  It  would  not  profit  Texas  for 
us  to  ride  on  with  our  rifles  merely  to  be  slaughtered. 
There  will  be  other  battles  and  other  sieges,  and  we  shall 
be  needed." 

"Does  that  mean  we're  not  goin'  on?"  asked  the 
Panther. 

"We  can't  go  on." 

Fannin  waved  his  hand  at  the  yellow  and  swollen  river. 

"We  must  return  to  Goliad,"  he  said,  "I  have  decided. 
Besides,  there  is  nothing  else  for  us  to  do.  About  face, 
men,  and  take  up  the  march." 

The  men  turned  slowly  and  reluctantly,  and  the  can- 
non began  to  plough  the  mud  on  the  road  to  Goliad,  from 
which  they  had  come. 

The  Panther  had  remounted,  and  he  drew  to  one  side 
with  Will  and  Obed,  who  were  also  on  their  horses.  His 
face  was  glowing  with  anger.  Never  had  he  looked  more 
tremendous  as  he  sat  on  his  horse,  with  the  water  still 
flowing  from  him. 

"Colonel  Fannin,"  he  called  out,  "you  can  go  back 
to  Goliad,  but  as  for  me  an'  my  pardners,  Obed 
White  an'  Will  Allen,  we're  goin'  to  Bexar,  an'  the 
Alamo." 

"I  have  no  control  over  you,"  said  Fannin,  "but  it 
would  be  much  better  for  you  three  to  keep  with  us." 

"No,"  said  the  Panther  firmly.     "We  hear  the  Alamo 


THE  DESPERATE  DEFENCE     193 

callin'.    Into  the  river,  boys,  but  keep  your  weapons  an' 
ammunition  dry." 

Their  horses,  urged  into  the  water,  swam  to  the  other 
bank,  and,  without  looking  back  the  three  rode  for  San 
Antonio  de  Bexar. 

********* 

While  the  Panther,  Obed  White  and  Will  Allen  were 
riding  over  the  prairie,  Ned  Fulton  sat  once  more  with 
his  friend,  Davy  Crockett,  in  one  of  the  adobe  buildings. 
Night  had  come,  and  they  heard  outside  the  fitful  crackle 
of  rifle  fire,  but  they  paid  no  attention  to  it.  Travis,  at  a 
table  with  a  small  tallow  candle  at  his  elbow,  was  writing 
his  last  message. 

Ned  was  watching  the  commander  as  he  wrote.  But 
he  saw  no  expression  of  despair  or  even  discouragement 
on  Travis'  fine  face.  The  letter,  which  a  messenger  suc- 
ceeded in  carrying  through  the  lines  that  night,  breathed 
a  noble  and  lofty  courage.  He  was  telling  again  how 
few  were  his  men,  and  how  the  balls  and  bombs  had 
rained  almost  continuously  for  days  upon  the  Alamo. 
Even  as  his  pen  was  poised  they  heard  the  heavy  thud  of 
a  cannon,  but  the  pen  descended  steadily  and  he  wrote : 

"I  shall  continue  to  hold  it  until  I  get  relief  from  my 
countrymen,  or  perish  in  its  defence." 

He  wrote  on  a  little  longer  and  once  more  came  the 
heavy  thud  of  a  great  gun.  Then  the  pen  wrote: 

"Again  I  feel  confident  that  the  determined  spirit  and 
desperate  courage  heretofore  exhibited  by  my  men  will 
not  fail  them  in  the  last  struggle,  and,  although  they  may 
be  sacrificed  to  the  vengeance  of  a  Gothic  enemy,  the 
victory  will  cost  that  enemy  so  dear  that  it  will  be  worse 
than  a  defeat." 

"Worse  than  a  defeat!"  Travis  never  knew  how  sig- 
nificant were  the  words  that  he  penned  then.  A  minute 


194  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

or  two  later  the  sharp  crack  of  a  half  dozen  rifles  came 
to  them,  and  Travis  wrote: 

"A  blood-red  flag  waves  from  the  church  of  Bexar  and 
in  the  camp  above  us,  in  token  that  the  war  is  one  of 
vengeance  against  rebels." 

They  heard  the  third  heavy  thud  of  a  cannon,  and  a 
shell,  falling  in  the  court  outside,  burst  with  a  great 
crash.  Ned  went  out  and  returned  with  a  report  of  no 
damage.  Travis  had  continued  his  letter,  and  now  he 
wrote : 

"These  threats  have  no  influence  upon  my  men,  but  to 
make  all  fight  with  desperation,  and  with  that  high-souled 
courage  which  characterizes  the  patriot  who  is  willing  to 
die  in  defence  of  his  country,  liberty  and  his  own  honor, 
God  and  Texas. 

"Victory  or  death." 

He  closed  the  letter  and  addressed  it.  An  hour  later 
the  messenger  was  beyond  the  Mexican  lines  with  it,  but 
Travis  sat  for  a  long  time  at  the  table,  unmoving  and 
silent.  Perhaps  he  was  blaming  himself  for  not  having 
been  more  watchful,  for  not  having  discovered  the  ad- 
vance of  Santa  Anna.  But  he  was  neither  a  soldier  nor 
a  frontiersman,  and  since  the  retreat  into  the  Alamo  he 
had  done  all  that  man  could  do. 

He  rose  at  last  and  went  out.  Then  Crockett  said  to 
Ned,  knowing  that  it  was  now  time  to  speak  the  full 
truth : 

"He  has  given  up  all  hope  of  help." 

"So  have  I,"  said  Ned. 

"But  we  can  still  fight,"  said  Crockett. 

The  day  that  followed  was  always  like  a  dream  to  Ned, 
vivid  in  some  ways,  and  vague  in  others.  He  felt  that 
the  coil  around  the  Alamo  had  tightened.  Neither  he 
nor  any  one  else  expected  aid  now,  and  they  spoke  of  it 


THE  DESPERATE  DEFENCE     195 

freely  one  to  another.  Several  who  could  obtain  paper 
wrote,  as  Ned  had  done,  brief  wills,  which  they  put  in 
the  inside  pockets  of  their  coats.  Always  they  spoke 
very  gently  to  one  another,  these  wild  spirits  of  the  bor- 
der. The  strange  and  softening  shadow  which  Ned  had 
noticed  before  was  deepening  over  them  all. 

Bowie  was  again  in  the  hospital,  having  been  bruised 
severely  in  a  fall  from  one  of  the  walls,  but  his  spirit  was 
as  dauntless  as  ever. 

"The  assault  by  the  Mexicans  in  full  force  cannot  be 
delayed  much  longer,"  he  said  to  Ned.  "Santa  Anna  is 
impatient  and  energetic,  and  he  surely  has  brought  up  all 
his  forces  by  this  time." 

"Do  you  think  we  can  beat  them  off?"  asked  Ned. 

Bowie  hesitated  a  little,  and  then  he  replied  frankly : 

"I  do  not.  We  have  only  one  hundred  and  seventy  or 
eighty  men  to  guard  the  great  space  that  we  have  here. 
But  in  falling  we  will  light  such  a  flame  that  it  will  never 
go  out  until  Texas  is  free." 

Ned  talked  with  him  a  little  longer,  and  always  Bowie 
spoke  as  if  the  time  were  at  hand  when  he  should  die  for 
Texas.  The  man  of  wild  and  desperate  life  seemed  at 
this  moment  to  be  clothed  about  with  the  mantle  of  the 
seer. 

The  Mexican  batteries  fired  very  little  that  day,  and 
Santa  Anna's  soldiers  kept  well  out  of  range.  They  had 
learned  a  deep  and  lasting  respect  for  the  Texan  rifles. 
Hundreds  had  fallen  already  before  them,  and  now  they 
kept  under  cover. 

The  silence  seemed  ominous  and  brooding  to  Ned. 
The  day  was  bright,  and  the  flag  of  no  quarter  burned  a 
spot  of  blood-red  against  the  blue  sky.  Ned  saw  Mex- 
ican officers  occasionally  on  the  roofs  of  the  higher  build- 
ings, but  he  took  little  notice  of  them.  He  felt  instinct- 


196  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

ively  that  the  supreme  crisis  had  not  yet  come.  They 
were  all  waiting,  waiting. 

The  afternoon  drew  its  slow  length  away  in  almost 
dead  silence,  and  the  night  came  on  rather  blacker  than 
usual.  Then  the  word  was  passed  for  all  to  assemble  in 
the  courtyard.  They  gathered  there,  Bowie  dragging 
his  sick  body  with  the  rest.  Every  defender  of  the 
Alamo  was  present.  The  cannon  and  the  walls  were  for 
a  moment  deserted,  but  the  Mexicans  without  did  not 
know  it. 

There  are  ineffaceable  scenes  in  the  life  of  every  one, 
scenes  which,  after  the  lapse  of  many  years,  are  as  vivid 
as  of  yesterday.  Such,  the  last  meeting  of  the  Texans, 
always  remained  in  the  mind  of  Ned.  They  stood  in  a 
group,  strong,  wiry  men,  but  worn  now  by  the  eternal 
vigilance  and  danger  of  the  siege.  One  man  held  a 
small  torch,  which  cast  but  a  dim  light  over  the  brown 
faces. 

Travis  stood  before  them  and  spoke  to  them. 

"Men,"  he  said,  "all  of  you  know  what  I  know,  that 
we  stand  alone.  No  help  is  coming  for  us.  The  Texans 
cannot  send  it  or  it  would  have  come.  For  ten  days  we 
have  beaten  off  every  attack  of  a  large  army.  But  an- 
other assault  in  much  greater  force  is  at  hand.  It  is  not 
likely  that  we  can  repel  it.  You  have  seen  the  red  flag  of 
no  quarter  flying  day  after  day  over  the  church,  and  you 
know  what  it  means.  Santa  Anna  never  gives  mercy.  It 
is  likely  that  we  shall  all  fall,  but,  if  any  man  wishes  to 
go,  I,  your  leader,  do  not  order  him  to  stay.  You  have 
all  done  your  duty  ten  times  over.  There  is  just  a  chance 
to  escape  over  the  walls  and  in  the  darkness.  Now  go 
and  save  your  lives  if  you  can." 

"We  stay,"  came  the  deep  rumble  of  many  voices  to- 
gether. One  man  slipped  quietly  away  a  little  later,  but 


THE  DESPERATE  DEFENCE     197 

he  was  the  only  one.  Save  for  him,  there  was  no 
thought  of  flight  in  the  minds  of  that  heroic  band. 

Ned's  heart  thrilled  and  the  blood  pounded  in  his  ears. 
Life  was  precious,  doubly  so,  because  he  was  so  young, 
but  he  felt  a  strange  exaltation  in  the  face  of  death,  an 
exaltation  that  left  no  room  for  fear. 

The  eyes  of  Travis  glistened  when  he  heard  the  reply. 

"It  is  what  I  expected,"  he  said.  "I  knew  that  every 
one  of  you  was  willing  to  die  for  Texas.  Now,  lads,  we 
will  go  back  to  the  walls  and  wait  for  Santa  Anna." 


CHAPTER  XII 
BEFORE  THE  DICTATOR 

NED'S  feeling  of  exaltation  lasted.  The  long  siege, 
the  incessant  danger  and  excitement,  and  the 
wonderful  way  in  which  the  little  band  of 
Texans  had  kept  a  whole  army  at  bay  had  keyed  him  up 
to  a  pitch  in  which  he  was  not  himself,  in  which  he  was 
something  a  little  more  than  human.  Such  extraordinary 
moments  come  to  few  people,  and  his  vivid,  imaginative 
mind  was  thrilled  to  the  utmost. 

He  was  on  the  early  watch,  and  he  mounted  the  wall 
of  the  church.  The  deep  silence  which  marked  the  be- 
ginning of  the  night  still  prevailed.  They  had  not  heard 
any  shots,  and  for  that  reason  they  all  felt  that  the  mes- 
senger had  got  through  with  Travis'  last  letter. 

It  was  very  dark  that  night  and  Ned  could  not  see  the 
red  flag  on  the  tower  of  the  church  of  San  Fernando. 
But  he  knew  it  was  there,  waving  a  little  in  the  soft  wind 
which  blew  out  of  the  southwest,  herald  of  spring. 
Nothing  broke  the  silence.  After  so  much  noise,  it  was 
ominous,  oppressive,  surcharged  with  threats.  Fewer 
lights  than  usual  burned  in  the  town  and  in  the  Mexican 
camp.  All  this  stillness  portended  to  Ned  the  coming 
storm,  and  he  was  right. 

His  was  a  short  watch,  and  at  u  o'clock  he  went  off 

duty.     It  was  silent  and  dark  in  the  convent  yard,  and 

he  sought  his  usual  place  for  sleep  in  the  hospital,  where 

many  of  the  Texans  had  been  compelled  to  go,  not  merely 

198 


BEFORE   THE   DICTATOR  199 

to  sleep,  but  because  they  were  really  ill,  worn  out  by  so 
many  alarms,  so  much  fighting  and  so  much  watching. 
But  they  were  all  now  asleep,  overpowered  by  exhaus- 
tion. Ned  crept  into  his  own  dark  little  corner,  and  he, 
too,  was  soon  asleep. 

But  he  was  awakened  about  four  hours  later  by  some 
one  pulling  hard  at  his  shoulder.  He  opened  his  eyes, 
and  stared  sleepily.  It  was  Crockett  bending  over  him, 
and,  Bowie  lying  on  his  sick  bed  ten  feet  away,  had 
raised  himself  on  his  elbow.  The  light  was  so  faint  that 
Ned  could  scarcely  see  Crockett's  face,  but  it  looked  very 
tense  and  eager. 

"Get  up,  Ned!  Get  up!"  said  Crockett,  shaking  hin, 
again.  "There's  great  work  for  you  to  do!" 

"Why,  what  is  it?"  exclaimed  the  boy,  springing  to  his 
feet. 

"It's  your  friends,  Roylston,  an'  that  man,  the  Panther, 
you've  been  tellin'  me  about,"  replied  Crockett  in  quick 
tones.  "While  you  were  asleep  a  Mexican,  friendly  to 
us,  sneaked  a  message  over  the  wall,  sayin'  that  Roylston, 
the  Panther,  an'  others  were  layin'  to  the  east  with  a  big 
force  not  more'n  twenty  miles  away — not  Fannin's  crowd, 
but  another  one  that's  come  down  from  the  north.  They 
don't  know  whether  we're  holdin'  out  yet  or  not,  an'  o' 
course  they  don't  want  to  risk  destruction  by  tryin'  to 
cut  through  the  Mexican  army  to  reach  us  when  we  ain't 
here.  The  Mexican  dassent  go  out  of  San  Antonio.  He 
won't  try  it,  'cause,  as  he  says,  it's  sure  death  for  him, 
an'  so  somebody  must  go  to  Roylston  with  the  news  that 
we're  still  alive,  fightin'  an'  kickin'.  Colonel  Travis  has 
chose  you,  an'  you've  got  to  go.  No,  there's  no  letter. 
You're  just  to  tell  Roylston  by  word  of  mouth  to  come 
on  with  his  men." 

The  words  came  forth  popping  like  pistol  shots.    Ned 


200  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

was  swept  off  his  feet.  He  did  not  have  time  to  argue 
or  ask  questions.  Bowie  also  added  a  fresh  impetus. 
"Go,  Ned,  go  at  once !"  he  said.  "You  are  chosen  for  a 
great  service.  It's  an  honor  to  anybody !" 

"A  service  of  great  danger,  requirin'  great  skill,"  said 
Crockett,  "but  you  can  do  it,  Ned,  you  can  do  it." 

Ned  flushed.  This  was,  in  truth,  a  great  trust.  He 
might,  indeed,  bring  the  help  they  needed  so  sorely. 

"Here's  your  rifle  an'  other  weapons  an'  ammunition," 
said  Crockett.  "The  night's  at  its  darkest  an'  you  ain't 
got  any  time  to  waste.  Come  on!" 

So  swift  was  Crockett  that  Ned  was  ready  almost  be- 
fore he  knew  it.  The  Tennesseean  never  ceased  hurrying 
him.  But  as  he  started,  Bowie  called  to  him: 

"Good-by,  Ned!" 

The  boy  turned  back  and  offered  his  hand.  The 
Georgian  shook  it  with  unusual  warmth,  and  then  lay 
back  calmly  on  his  blankets. 

"Good-by,  Ned,"  he  repeated,  "and  if  we  don't  meet 
again  I  hope  you'll  forget  the  dark  things  in  my  life,  and 
remember  me  as  one  who  was  doing  his  best  for  Texas." 

"But  we  will  meet  again,"  said  Ned.  "The  relieving 
force  will  be  here  in  two  or  three  days  and  I'll  come  with 
it." 

"Out  with  you !"  said  Crockett.  "That's  talk  enough. 
What  you  want  to  do  now  is  to  put  on  your  invisible  cap 
an'  your  seven  league  boots  an'  go  like  lightnin'  through 
the  Mexican  camp.  Remember  that  you  can  talk  their 
lingo  like  a  native,  an'  don't  forget,  neither,  to  keep  al- 
ways about  you  a  great  big  piece  of  presence  of  mind 
that  you  can  use  on  a  moment's  notice." 

Ned  wore  his  scrape  and  he  carried  a  pair  of  small, 
light  but  very  warm  blankets,  strapped  in  a  pack  on  his 
back.  His  haversack  contained  bread  and  dried  beef, 


BEFORE   THE   DICTATOR  201 

and,  with  his  smaller  weapons  in  his  belt,  and  his  rifle 
over  his  shoulder,  he  was  equipped  fully  for  a  long  and 
dangerous  journey. 

Crockett  and  the  boy  passed  into  the  convent  yard. 

The  soft  wind  from  the  southwest  blew  upon  their 
faces,  and  from  the  high  wall  of  the  church  a  sentinel 
called :  "All's  well !"  Ned  felt  an  extraordinary  shiver, 
a  premonition,  but  it  passed,  unexplained.  He  and 
Crockett  went  into  the  main  plaza  and  reached  the  low- 
est part  of  the  wall. 

"Ought  I  to  see  Colonel  Travis?"  asked  Ned,  as  they 
were  on  the  way. 

"No,  he  asked  me  to  see  to  it,  'cause  there  ain't  no  time 
to  waste.  It's  about  three  o'clock  in  the  mornin'  now, 
an'  you've  got  to  slip  through  in  two  or  three  hours, 
'cause  the  light  will  be  showin'  then.  Now,  Ned,  up  with 
you  an'  over." 

Ned  climbed  to  the  summit  of  the  wall.  Beyond  lay 
heavy  darkness,  and  he  neither  saw  nor  heard  any  human 
being.  He  looked  back,  and  extended  his  hand  to 
Crockett  as  he  had  to  Bowie. 

"Good-by,  Mr.  Crockett,"  he  said,  "you've  been  very 
good  to  me." 

The  great  brown  hand  of  the  frontiersman  clasped  his 
almost  convulsively. 

"Aye,  Ned,"  he  said,  "we've  cottoned  to  each  other 
from  the  first.  I  haven't  knowed  you  long,  but  you've 
been  like  a  son  to  me.  Now  go,  an'  God  speed  you !" 

Ned  recalled  afterward  that  he  did  not  say  anything 
about  Roylston's  relieving  force.  What  he  thought  of 
then  was  the  deep  feeling  in  Crockett's  words. 

"I'm  coming  back,"  he  said,  "and  I  hope  to  hunt  buf- 
falo with  you  over  the  plains  of  a  free  Texas." 

"Go!  go!    Hurry,  Ned!"  said  Crockett. 


202  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"Good-by,"  said  Ned,  and  he  dropped  lightly  to  the 
ground. 

He  was  outside  the  Alamo  after  eleven  days  inside, 
that  seemed  in  the  retrospect  almost  as  many  months. 
He  flattened  himself  against  the  wall,  and  stood  there 
for  a  minute  or  two,  looking  and  listening.  He  thought 
he  might  hear  Crockett  again  inside,  but  evidently  the 
Tennesseean  had  gone  back  at  once.  In  front  of  him  was 
only  the  darkness,  pierced  by  a  single  light  off  toward 
the  west. 

Ned  hesitated.  It  was  hard  for  him  to  leave  the  Alamo 
and  the  friends  who  had  been  knitted  to  him  by  so  many 
common  dangers,  yet  his  errand  was  one  of  high  impor- 
tance— it  might  save  them  all — and  he  must  do  it. 
Strengthening  his  resolution  he  started  across  an  open 
space,  walking  lightly.  As  Crockett  had  truly  said,  with 
his  perfect  knowledge  of  the  language  he  might  pass  for 
a  Mexican.  He  had  done  so  before,  and  he  did  not  doubt 
his  ability  to  do  so  again. 

He  resolved  to  assume  the  character  of  a  Mexican 
scout,  looking  into  the  secrets  of  the  Alamo,  and  going 
"back  to  report  to  Santa  Anna.  As  he  advanced  he  heard 
voices  and  saw  earthworks  from  which  the  muzzles  of 
four  cannon  protruded.  Behind  the  earthwork  was  a 
small  fire,  and  he  knew  that  men  would  be  sitting  about 
it.  He  turned  aside,  not  wishing  to  come  too  much  into 
the  light,  but  a  soldier  near  the  earthwork  hailed  him, 
and  Ned,  according  to  his  plan,  replied  briefly  that  he 
was  on  his  way  to  General  Santa  Anna  in  San  Antonio. 

But  the  man  was  talkative. 

"What  is  your  name?"  he  asked. 

"Pedro  Miguel  Alvarado,"  replied  Ned  on  the  spur  of 
the  moment. 

"Well,  friend,  it  is  a  noble  name,  that  of  Alvarado." 


BEFORE   THE   DICTATOR  203 

"But  it  is  not  a  noble  who  bears  it.  Though  a 
descendant  of  the  great  Alvarado,  who  fought  by 
the  side  of  the  glorious  and  mighty  conquistador,  Her- 
nando  Cortez,  I  am  but  a  poor  peasant  offering  my 
life  daily  for  bread  in  the  army  of  General  Santa 
Anna." 

The  man  laughed. 

"You  are  as  well  off  as  I  am,"  he  said.  "But  what  of 
the  wicked  Texans?  Are  they  yet  ready  to  surrender 
their  throats  to  our  knives?  The  dogs  hold  us  over  long. 
It  is  said  that  they  number  scarce  two  hundred  within 
the  mission.  Truly  they  fight  hard,  and  well  they  may, 
knowing  that  death  only  is  at  the  end." 

Ned  shuddered.  The  man  seemed  to  take  it  all  so 
lightly.  But  he  replied  in  a  firm  voice : 

"I  learned  little  of  them  save  that  they  still  fight.  I 
took  care  not  to  put  myself  before  the  muzzle  of  any  of 
their  rifles." 

The  Mexican  laughed  again. 

"A  lad  of  wisdom,  you,"  he  said.  "They  are  demons 
with  their  rifles.  When  the  great  assault  is  made,  many 
a  good  man  will  speed  to  his  long  home  before  the 
Alamo  is  taken." 

So,  they  had  already  decided  upon  the  assault.  The 
premonition  within  the  Alamo  was  not  wrong.  It  oc- 
curred to  Ned  that  he  might  learn  more,  and  he  paused. 

"Has  it  been  finally  settled?"  he  asked.  "We  attack 
about  three  days  from  now,  do  we  not  ?" 

"Earlier  than  that,"  replied  the  Mexican.  "I  know 
that  the  time  has  been  chosen,  and  I  think  it  is  to-morrow 
morning." 

Ned's  heart  beat  heavily.  To-morrow  morning !  Even 
if  he  got  through,  how  could  he  ever  bring  Roylston  and 
the  relief  force  in  time? 


204  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"I  thank  you/'  he  said,  "but  I  must  hurry  with  my 
report." 

"Adios,  Sefior,"  said  the  man  politely,  and  Ned  re- 
peated his  "Adios"  in  the  same  tone.  Then  he  hurried 
forward,  continually  turning  in  toward  the  east,  hoping 
to  find  a  passage  where  the  Mexican  line  was  thinnest. 
But  the  circle  of  the  invaders  was  complete,  and  he  saw 
that  he  must  rely  upon  his  impersonation  of  a  Mexican 
to  take  him  through. 

He  was  in  a  fever  of  haste,  knowing  now  that  the  great 
assault  was  to  come  so  soon,  and  he  made  for  a  point 
between  two  smoldering  camp  fires  fifty  or  sixty  yards 
apart.  Boldness  only  would  now  avail,  and  with  the 
brim  of  his  sombrero  pulled  well  down  over  his  face  he 
walked  confidently  forward,  coming  fully  within  the  light 
of  the  fire  on  his  left. 

A  number  of  Mexican  soldiers  were  asleep  around  the 
fire,  but  at  least  a  half  dozen  men  were  awake.  They 
called  to  Ned  as  he  passed  and  he  responded  readily,  but 
Fortune,  which  had  been  so  kind  to  him  for  a  long  time, 
all  at  once  turned  her  back  upon  him.  When  he  spoke, 
a  man  in  officer's  uniform  who  had  been  sitting  by  the 
fire  rose  quickly. 

"Your  name?"  he  cried. 

"Pedro  Miguel  Alvarado,"  replied  Ned  instantly.  At 
the  same  moment  he  recognized  Urrea. 

"It  is  not  so!"  cried  Urrea.  "You  are  one  of  the 
Texans,  young  Fulton.  I  know  your  voice.  Upon  him, 
men !  Seize  him !" 

His  action  and  the  leap  of  the  Mexicans  were  so  sud- 
den that  Ned  did  not  have  time  to  aim  his  rifle.  But  he 
struck  one  a  short-arm  blow  with  the  butt  of  it  that  sent 
him  down  with  a  broken  head,  and  he  snatched  at  his 
pistol  as  three  or  four  others  threw  themselves  upon  him. 


BEFORE   THE   DICTATOR  205 

Ned  was  uncommonly  strong  and  agile,  and  he  threw  off 
two  of  the  men,  but  the  others  pressed  him  to  the  ground, 
until,  at  Urrea's  command,  his  arms  were  bound  and  he 
was  allowed  to  rise. 

Ned  was  in  despair,  not  so  much  for  himself  but  be- 
cause there  was  no  longer  a  chance -that  he  could  get 
through  to  Roylston.  It  was  a  deep  mortification,  more- 
over, to  be  taken  by  Urrea.  But  he  faced  the  Mexican 
with  an  appearance  of  calmness. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "I  am  your  prisoner." 

"You  are,"  said  Urrea,  "and  you  might  have  passed, 
if  I  had  not  known  your  voice.  But  I  remind  you  that 
you  come  from  the  Alamo.  You  see  our  flag,  and  you 
know  its  meaning;" 

The  black  eyes  of  the  Mexican  regarded  Ned  malig- 
nantly. The  boy  knew  that  the  soul  of  Urrea  was  full 
of  wicked  triumph.  The  officer  could  shoot  him  down 
at  that  moment,  and  be  entirely  within  orders.  But  Ned 
recalled  the  words  of  Roylston.  The  merchant  had  told 
him  to  use  his  name  if  he  should  ever  fall  again  into  the 
hands  of  Santa  Anna. 

"I  am  your  prisoner,"  he  repeated,  "and  I  demand  to 
be  taken  before  General  Santa  Anna.  Whatever  your 
red  flag  may  mean,  there  are  reasons  why  he  will  spare 
me.  Go  with  me  and  you  will  see." 

He  spoke  with  such  boldness  and  directness  that  Urrea 
was  impressed. 

"I  shall  take  you  to  the  general,"  he  said,  "not  because 
you  demand  it,  but  because  I  think  it  well  to  do  so.  It 
is  likely  that  he  will  want  to  examine  you,  and  I  believe 
that  in  his  presence  you  will  tell  all  you  know.  But  it  is 
not  yet  4  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  I  cannot  awaken 
him  now.  You  will  stay  here  until  after  daylight." 

"Very  well,"  said  Ned,  trying  to  be  calm  as  possible. 


206  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"As  you  have  bound  me  I  cannot  walk,  but  if  you'll  put 
me  on  a  blanket  there  by  the  fire  I'll  sleep  until  you  want 
me." 

"We  won't  deny  you  that  comfort,"  replied  Urrea 
grimly. 

When  Ned  was  stretched  on  his  blanket  he  was  fairly 
easy  so  far  as  the  body  was  concerned.  They  had  bound 
him  securely,  but  not  painfully.  His  agony  of  mind, 
though,  was  great.  Nevertheless  he  fell  asleep,  and  slept 
in  a  restless  way  for  three  or  four  hours,  until  Urrea 
awoke  him,  and  told  him  they  were  going  to  Santa  Anna. 

It  was  a  clear,  crisp  dawn  and  Ned  saw  the  town,  the 
river,  and  the  Alamo.  There,  only  a  short  distance 
away,  stood  the  dark  fortress,  from  which  he  had  slipped 
but  a  few  hours  before  with  such  high  hopes.  He  even 
saw  the  figures  of  the  sentinels,  moving  slowly  on  the 
church  walls,  and  his  heart  grew  heavy  within  him.  He 
wished  now  that  he  was  back  with  the  defenders.  Even 
if  he  should  escape  it  would  be  too  late.  At  Urrea's  or- 
ders he  was  unbound. 

"There  is  no  danger  of  your  escaping  now,"  said  the 
young  Mexican.  "Several  of  my  men  are  excellent 
marksmen,  and  they  will  fire  at  the  first  step  you  take  in 
flight.  And  even  should  they  miss,  what  chance  do  you 
think  you  have  here?" 

He  swept  his  right  hand  in  a  circle,  and,  in  the  clear 
morning  air,  Ned  saw  batteries  and  troops  everywhere. 
He  knew  that  the  circle  of  steel  about  the  Alamo  was 
complete.  Perhaps  he  would  have  failed  in  his  errand 
even  had  he  got  by.  It  would  require  an  unusually 
strong  force  to  cut  through  an  army  as  large  as  that  of 
Santa  Anna,  and  he  did  not  know  where  Roylston  could 
have  found  it.  He  started,  as  a  sudden  suspicion  smote 
him.  He  remembered  Crockett's  hurried  manner,  and 


BEFORE   THE   DICTATOR  207 

his  lack  of  explanation.  But  he  put  it  aside.  It  could 
not  be  true. 

"I  see  that  you  look  at  the  Alamo,"  said  Urrea  iron- 
ically. "Well,  the  rebel  flag  is  still  there,  but  it  will  not 
remain  much  longer.  The  trap  is  about  ready  to  shut 
down." 

Ned's  color  rose. 

"It  may  be  so,"  he  said,  "but  for  every  Texan  who 
falls  the  price  will  be  five  Mexicans." 

"But  they  will  fall,  nevertheless,"  said  Urrea.  "Here 
is  food  for  you.  Eat,  and  I  will  take  you  to  the  general." 

They  offered  him  Mexican  food,  but  he  had  no  appe- 
tite, and  he  ate  little.  He  stretched  and  tensed  his  limbs 
in  order  to  restore  the  full  flood  of  circulation,  and  an- 
nounced that  he  was  ready.  Urrea  led  the  way,  and  Ned 
followed  with  a  guard  of  four  men  about  him. 

The  boy  had  eyes  and  ears  for  everything  around  him, 
but  he  looked  most  toward  the  Alamo.  He  could  not,  at 
the  distance,  recognize  the  figures  on  the  wall,  but  all 
those  men  were  his  friends,  and  his  eyes  filled  with  tears 
at  their  desperate  case.  Out  here  with  the  Mexicans, 
where  he  could  see  all  their  overwhelming  force  and  their 
extensive  preparations,  the  chances  of  the  Texans  looked 
worse  than  they  did  inside  the  Alamo. 

They  entered  the  town  and  passed  through  the  same 
streets,  along  which  Ned  had  advanced  with  the  con- 
quering army  of  the  Texans  a  few  months  before.  Many 
evidences  of  the  siege  remained.  There  were  tunnels, 
wrecked  houses  and  masses  of  stone  and  adobe.  The 
appearance  of  the  young  prisoner  aroused  the  greatest 
curiosity  among  both  soldiers  and  people.  He  heard 
often  the  word  "Texano."  Women  frequently  looked 
down  at  him  from  the  flat  roofs,  and  some  spoke  in  pity. 

Ned  was  silent.     He  was  resolved  not  to  ask  Urrea 


208  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

any  questions  or  to  give  him  a  chance  to  show  triumph. 
He  noticed  that  they  were  advancing-  toward  the  plaza, 
and  then  they  turned  into  the  Veramendi  house,  which 
he  had  cause  to  remember  so  well. 

"This  was  the  home  of  the  Vice-Governor,"  said  Ur- 
rea,  "and  General  Santa  Anna  is  here." 

"I  know  the  place,"  said  Ned.  "I  am  proud  to  have 
been  one  of  the  Texans  who  took  it  on  a  former  occa- 
sion." 

"We  lost  it  then,  but  we  have  it  now  and  we'll  keep  it," 
said  Urrea.  "My  men  will  wait  with  you  here  in  the 
courtyard,  and  I'll  see  if  our  illustrious  general  is  ready 
to  receive  you." 

Ned  waited  patiently.  Urrea  was  gone  a  full  half 
hour,  and,  when  he  returned,  he  said : 

"The  general  was  at  breakfast  with  his  staff.  He  had 
not  quite  finished,  but  he  is  ready  to  receive  you  now." 

Then  Urrea  led  the  way  into  the  Veramendi  house. 
Luxurious  fittings  had  been  put  in,  but  many  of  the  rents 
and  scars  from  the  old  combat  were  yet  visible.  They 
entered  the  great  dining  room,  and,  once  more,  Ned 
stood  face  to  face  with  the  most  glorious  general,  the 
most  illustrious  dictator,  Don  Antonio  Lopez  de  Santa 
Anna.  But  Ned  alone  stood.  The  dictator  sat  at  the 
head  of  the  table,  about  which  were  Castrillon,  Sesma, 
Cos,  Gaona,  the  Italian,  Filisola  and  others.  It  seemed 
to  Ned  that  he  had  come  not  only  upon  a  breakfast  but 
upon  a  conference  as  well. 

The  soldiers  who  had  guarded  Ned  stepped  back,  Ur- 
rea stood  by  the  wall,  and  the  boy  was  left  to  meet  the 
fixed  gaze  of  Santa  Anna.  The  dictator  wore  a  splendid 
uniform,  as  usual.  His  face  seemed  to  Ned  fuller  and 
more  flushed  than  when  they  had  last  met  in  Mexico. 
The  marks  of  dissipation  were  there.  Ned  saw  him  slip 


BEFORE   THE   DICTATOR  209 

a  little  silver  box  from  the  pocket  of  his  waistcoat  and 
take  from  it  a  pinch  of  a  dark  drug,  which  he  ate.  It 
was  opium,  but  the  Mexican  generals  seemed  to  take  no 
note  of  it. 

Santa  Anna's  gaze  was  fixed  and  piercing,  as  if  he 
would  shoot  terror  into  the  soul  of  his  enemy — a  favor- 
ite device  of  his — but  Ned  withstood  it.  Then  Santa 
Anna,  removing  his  stare  from  his  face,  looked  him 
slowly  up  and  down.  The  generals  said  nothing,  wait- 
ing upon  their  leader,  who  could  give  life  or  death 
as  he  chose.  Ned  was  sure  that  Santa  Anna  remem- 
bered him,  and,  in  a  moment,  he  knew  that  he  was 
right. 

"It  is  young  Fulton,  who  made  the  daring  and  in- 
genious escape  from  our  hospitality  in  the  capital,"  he 
said,  "and  who  also  departed  in  an  unexpected  manner 
from  one  of  the  submarine  dungeons  of  our  castle  of  San 
Juan  de  Ulua.  Fate  does  not  seem  to  reward  your  cour- 
age and  enterprise  as  they  deserve,  since  you  are  in  our 
hands  again." 

The  dictator  laughed  and  his  generals  laughed  obedi- 
ently also.  Ned  said  nothing. 

"I  am  informed  by  that  most  meritorious  young  officer, 
Captain  Urrea,"  continued  Santa  Anna,  "that  you  were 
captured  about  three  o'clock  this  morning  trying  to  es- 
cape from  the  Alamo." 

"That  is  correct,"  said  Ned. 

"Why  were  you  running  away  in  the  dark?" 

Ned  flushed,  but,  knowing  that  it  was  an  unworthy  and 
untruthful  taunt,  he  remained  silent. 

"You  do  not  choose  to  answer,"  said  Santa  Anna,  "but 
I  tell  you  that  you  are  the  rat  fleeing  from  the  sinking 
ship.  Our  cannon  have  wrecked  the  interior  of  the 
Alamo.  Half  of  your  men  are  dead,  and  the  rest  would 


210  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

gladly  surrender  if  I  should  give  them  the  promise  of 
life." 

"It  is  not  true!"  exclaimed  Ned  with  heat.  "Despite 
all  your  fire  the  defenders  of  the  Alamo  have  lost  but  a 
few  men.  You  offer  no  quarter  and  they  ask  none.  They 
are  ready  to  fight  to  the  last." 

There  was  a  murmur  among  the  generals,  but  Santa 
Anna  raised  his  hand  and  they  were  silent  again. 

"I  cannot  believe  all  that  you  say,"  he  continued.  "It 
is  a  boast.  The  Texans  are  braggarts.  To-morrow  they 
die,  every  one  of  them.  But  tell  us  the  exact  condition 
of  everything  inside  the  Alamo,  and  perhaps  I  may  spare 
your  life." 

Ned  shut  his  teeth  so  hard  that  they  hurt.  A  deep 
flush  surged  into  the  dark  face  of  Santa  Anna. 

"You  are  stubborn.  All  the  Texans  are  stubborn.  But 
I  do  not  need  any  information  from  you.  I  shall 
crush  the  Alamo,  as  my  fingers  would  smash  an  egg- 
shell." 

"But  your  fingers  will  be  pierced  deep,"  Ned  could  not 
keep  from  replying.  "They  will  run  blood." 

"Be  that  as  it  may,"  said  Santa  Anna,  who,  great  in 
some  things,  was  little  enough  to  taunt  an  enemy  in  his 
power,  "you  will  not  live  to  see  it.  I  am  about  to  give 
orders  to  have  you  shot  within  an  hour." 

His  lips  wrinkled  away  from  his  white  teeth  like  those 
of  a  great  cat  about  to  spring,  and  his  cruel  eyes  con- 
tracted. Holding  all  the  power  of  Mexico  in  his  hands 
he  was  indeed  something  to  be  dreaded.  The  generals 
about  the  table  never  spoke.  But  Ned  remembered  the 
words  of  Roylston. 

"A  great  merchant  named  John  Roylston  has  been  a 
good  friend  to  me,"  he  said.  "He  told  me  that  if  I 
should  ever  fall  into  your  hands  I  was  to  mention  his 


BEFORE   THE   DICTATOR  211 

name  to  you,  and  to  say  that  he  considered  my  life  of 
value." 

The  expression  of  the  dictator  changed.  He  frowned, 
and  then  regarded  Ned  intently,  as  if  he  would  read  some 
secret  that  the  boy  was  trying  to  hide. 

"And  so  you  know  John  Roylston,"  he  said  at  length, 
"and  he  wishes  you  to  say  to  me  that  your  life  is  of 
value." 

Ned  saw  the  truth  at  once.  He  had  a  talisman  and 
that  talisman  was  the  name  of  Roylston.  He  did  not 
know  why  it  was  so,  but  it  was  a  wonderful  talisman 
nevertheless,  because  it  was  going  to  save  his  life  for  the 
time  being,  at  least.  He  glanced  at  the  generals,  and  he 
saw  a  look  of  curiosity  on  the  face  of  every  one  of  them. 

"I  know  Roylston,"  said  Santa  Anna  slowly,  "and 
there  are  some  matters  between  us.  It  may  be  to  my  ad- 
vantage to  spare  you  for  a  while." 

Ned's  heart  sprang  up.  Life  was  sweet.  Since  he  was 
to  be  spared  for  a  while  it  must  mean  ultimately  ex- 
change or  escape.  Santa  Anna,  a  reader  of  the  human 
face,  saw  what  was  in  his  mind. 

"Be  not  too  sanguine,"  he  said,  "because  I  have 
changed  my  mind  once  it  does  not  mean  that  you  are  to 
be  free  now  or  ever.  I  shall  keep  you  here,  and  you 
shall  see  your  comrades  fall." 

A  sudden  smile,  offspring  of  a  quick  thought  and  sa- 
tanic  in  its  nature,  passed  over  his  face. 

"I  will  make  you  a  spectator  of  the  defeat  of  the 
Texans,"  he  said.  "A  great  event  needs  a  witness,  and 
since  you  cannot  be  a  combatant  you  can  serve  in  that 
capacity.  We  attack  at  dawn  to-morrow,  and  you  shall 
miss  nothing  of  it." 

The  wicked  smile  passed  over  his  face  again.  It  had 
occurred  to  Ned,  a  student  of  history,  that  the  gladia- 


212  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

torial  cruelty  of  the  ancient  Romans  had  descended  to 
the  Spaniards  instead  of  the  Italians.  Now  he  was  con- 
vinced that  it  was  so. 

"You  shall  be  kept  a  prisoner  in  one  of  our  strongest 
houses,"  said  Santa  Anna,  "and  Captain  Urrea,  whose 
vigilance  prevented  your  escape,  will  keep  guard  over 
you.  I  fancy  it  is  a  task  that  he  does  not  hate." 

Santa  Anna  had  also  read  the  mind  of  the  young  Mex- 
ican. Urrea  smiled.  He  liked  this  duty.  He  hated  Ned 
and  he,  too,  was  not  above  taunting  a  prisoner.  He  ad- 
vanced, and  put  a  hand  upon  Ned's  shoulder,  but  the  boy 
shook  it  off. 

"Don't  touch  me,"  said  Ned.  "I'll  follow  without  re- 
sistance." 

Santa  Anna  laughed. 

"Let  him  have  his  way  for  the  present,  Captain  Ur- 
rea," he  said.  "But  remember  that  it  is  due  to  your  gen- 
tleness and  mercy.  Adios,  Senor  Fulton,  we  meet  again 
to-morrow  morning,  and  if  you  survive  I  shall  report  to 
Mr.  Roylston  the  manner  in  which  you  may  bear  your- 
self." 

"Good-day,"  said  Ned,  resolved  not  to  be  outdone, 
even  in  ironical  courtesy.  "And  now,  Captain  Urrea,  if 
you  will  lead  the  way,  I'll  follow." 

Urrea  and  his  soldiers  took  Ned  from  the  Veramendi 
house  and  across  the  street  to  a  large  and  strong  stone 
building. 

"You  are  fortunate,"  said  Urrea,  "to  have  escaped  im- 
mediate death.  I  do  not  know  why  the  name  of  Roylston 
was  so  powerful  with  our  general,  but  I  saw  that  it  was." 

"It  seemed  to  have  its  effect,"  said  Ned. 

Urrea  led  the  way  to  the  flat  roof  of  the  house,  a  space 
reached  by  a  single  narrow  stairway. 

"I  shall  leave  you  here  with  two  guards,"  he  said.    "I 


BEFORE   THE   DICTATOR  213 

shall  give  them  instructions  to  fire  upon  you  at  the  slight- 
est attempt  on  your  part  to  escape,  but  I  fancy  that  you 
will  have  sense  enough  not  to  make  any  such  attempt." 

Urrea  departed,  but  the  two  sentinels  sat  by  the  en- 
trance to  the  stairway,  musket  in  hand.  He  had  not  the 
faintest  chance  to  get  by  them,  and  knowing  it  he  sat 
down  on  the  low  stone  coping  of  the  roof.  He  won- 
dered why  Urrea  had  brought  him  there  instead  of  lock- 
ing him  up  in  a  room.  Perhaps  it  was  to  mock  him  with 
the  sight  of  freedom  so  near  and  yet  unattainable. 

His  gaze  turned  instinctively  to  the  Alamo  like  the 
magnet  to  the  pole.  There  was  the  fortress,  gray  and 
grim  in  the  sunshine,  with  the  dim  figures  of  the  watchers 
on  the  walls.  What  were  they  doing  inside  now  ?  How 
were  Crockett  and  Bowie?  His  heart  filled  with  grief 
that  he  had  failed  them.  But  had  he  failed  them? 
Neither  Urrea\nor  any  other  Mexican  had  spoken  of  the 
approach  of  a  relieving  force  under  Roylston.  There 
was  no  sign  that  the  Mexicans  were  sending  any  part  of 
their  army  to  meet  it. 

The  heavy  thud  of  a  great  gun  drew  his  attention,  and 
he  saw  the  black  smoke  from  the  discharge  rising  over 
the  plain.  A  second,  a  third  and  a  fourth  cannon  shot 
were  fired,  but  no  answer  came  from  the  walls  of  the 
Alamo.  At  length  he  saw  one  of  the  men  in  the  nearest 
battery  to  the  Alamo  expose  himself  above  the  earth- 
work. There  was  a  flash  from  the  wall  of  the  church,  a 
little  puff  of  smoke,  and  Ned  saw  the  man  fall  as  only 
dead  men  fall.  Perhaps  it  was  Davy  Crockett,  the  great 
marksman,  who  had  fired  that  shot.  He  liked  to  think 
that  it  was  so,  and  he  rejoiced  also  at  this  certain  evi- 
dence that  the  little  garrison  was  as  dauntless  as  ever. 
He  watched  the  Alamo  for  nearly  an  hour,  and  he  saw 
that  the  firing  was  desultory.  Not  more  than  a  dozen 


214  THE  TEXAN    SCOUTS 

cannon  shots  were  fired  during  that  time,  and  only  three 
or  four  rifles  replied  from  the  Alamo.  Toward  noon  the 
firing  ceased  entirely,  and  Ned  knew  that  this  was  in 
very  fact  and  truth  the  lull  before  the  storm. 

His  attention  wandered  to  his  guards.  They  were 
mere  peons,  but,  although  watchful,  they  were  taking 
their  ease.  Evidently  they  liked  their  task.  They  were 
resting  with  the  complete  relaxation  of  the  body  that  only 
the  Southern  races  know.  Both  had  lighted  cigarritos, 
and  were  puffing  at  them  contentedly.  It  had  been  a 
long  time  since  Ned  had  seen  such  a  picture  of  lazy  ease. 

"You  like  it  here  ?"  he  said  to  the  nearest. 

The  man  took  the  cigarrito  from  his  mouth,  emitted 
smoke  from  his  nose  and  replied  politely : 

"It  is  better  to  be  here  lying  in  the  sun  than  out  there 
on  the  grass  with  a  Texan  bullet  through  one's  body.  Is 
it  not  so,  Fernando?" 

"Aye,  it  is  so,"  replied  his  comrade.  "I  like  not  the 
Texan  bullets.  I  am  glad  to  be  here  where  they  cannot 
reach  me.  It  is  said  that  Satan  sights  their  rifles  for 
them,  because  they  do  not  miss.  They  will  die  hard  to- 
morrow. They  will  die  like  the  bear  in  its  den,  fighting 
the  hunters,  when  our  army  is  poured  upon  them.  That 
will  be  an  end  to  all  the  Texans,  and  we  will  go  back  to 
the  warm  south." 

"But  are  you  sure,"  asked  Ned,  "that  it  will  be  an  end 
of  the  Texans?  Not  all  the  Texans  are  shut  up  in  the 
Alamo." 

"What  matters  it?"  replied  Fernando,  lightly.  "It  may 
be  delayed,  but  the  end  will  be  the  same.  Nothing  can 
resist  the  great,  the  powerful,  the  most  illustrious  Santa 
Anna.  He  is  always  able  to  dig  graves  for  his  enemies." 

The  men  talked  further.  Ned  gathered  from  them  that 
the  whole  force  of  Santa  Anna  was  now  present.  Some 


BEFORE   THE   DICTATOR  215 

of  his  officers  wanted  him  to  wait  for  siege  artillery  of 
the  heaviest  caliber  that  would  batter  down  the  walls  of 
the  Alamo,  but  the  dictator  himself  was  impatient  for  the 
assault.  It  would  certainly  take  place  the  next  morning. 

"And  why  is  the  young  senor  here?"  asked  Fernando. 
"The  order  has  been  issued  that  no  Texan  shall  be 
spared,  and  do  you  not  see  the  red  flag  waving  there 
close  by  us?" 

Ned  looked  up.  The  red  flag  now  flaunted  its  folds 
very  near  to  him.  He  could  not  repress  a  shiver. 

"I  am  here,"  he  replied,  "because  some  one  who  has 
power  has  told  General  Santa  Anna  that  I  am  not  to  be 
put  to  death." 

"It  is  well  for  you,  then,"  said  Fernando,  "that  you 
have  a  friend  of  such  weight.  It  is  a  pity  to  die  when 
one  is  so  young  and  so  straight  and  strong  as  you.  Ah, 
my  young  senor,  the  world  is  beautiful.  Look  how  green 
is  the  grass  there  by  the  river,  and  how  the  sun  lies  like 
gold  across  it!" 

Ned  had  noticed  before  the  love  of  beauty  that  the 
humblest  peon  sometimes  had,  and  there  was  a  certain 
touch  of  brotherly  feeling  between  him  and  this  man,  his 
jailer. 

"The  world  is  beautiful,"  said  the  boy,  "and  I  am  will- 
ing to  tell  you  that  I  have  no  wish  to  leave  it." 

"Nor  I,"  said  Fernando.  "Why  are  the  Texans  so 
foolish  as  to  oppose  the  great  Santa  Anna,  the  most  illus- 
trious and  powerful  of  all  generals  and  rulers?  Did  they 
not  know  that  he  would  come  and  crush  them,  every 
one?" 

Ned  did  not  reply.  The  peon,  in  repose  at  least,  had  a 
gentle  heart,  and  the  boy  knew  that  Santa  Anna  was  to 
him  omnipotent  and  omniscient.  He  turned  his  attention 
anew  to  the  Alamo,  that  magnet  of  his  thoughts.  It  was 


216  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

standing  quiet  in  the  sun  now.  The  defiant  flag  of  the 
defenders,  upon  which  they  had  embroidered  the  word 
"Texas,"  hung  lazily  from  the  staff. 

The  guards  in  the  afternoon  gave  him  some  food  and 
a  jug  of  water,  and  they  also  ate  and  drank  upon  the 
roof.  They  were  yet  amply  content  with  their  task  and 
their  position  there.  No  bullets  could  reach  them.  The 
sunshine  was  golden  and  pleasant.  They  had  established 
friendly  relations  with  the  prisoner.  He  had  not  given 
them  the  slightest  trouble,  and,  before  and  about  them, 
was  spread  the  theater  upon  which  a  mighty  drama  was 
passing,  all  for  them  to  see.  What  more  could  be  asked 
by  two  simple  peasants  of  small  wants? 

Ned  was  glad  that  they  let  him  remain  upon  the  roof. 
The  Alamo  drew  his  gaze  with  a  power  that  he  could  not 
break  if  he  would.  Since  he  was  no  longer  among  the 
defenders  he  was  eager  to  see  every  detail  in  the  vast 
drama  that  was  now  unfolding. 

But  the  afternoon  passed  in  inaction.  The  sun  was 
brilliant  and  toward  evening  turned  to  a  deep,  glowing 
red.  It  lighted  up  for  the  last  time  the  dim  figures  that 
stood  on  the  walls  of  the  Alamo.  Ned  choked  as  he  saw 
them  there.  He  felt  the  premonition. 

Urrea  came  upon  the  roof  shortly  before  twilight.  He 
was  not  sneering  or  ironical,  and  Ned,  who  had  no  wish 
to  quarrel  at  such  a  time,  was  glad  of  it. 

"As  General  Santa  Anna  told  you,"  said  Urrea,  "the 
assault  is  to  be  made  in  overwhelming  force  early  in  the 
morning.  It  will  succeed,  of  course.  Nothing  can  pre- 
vent it.  Through  the  man  Roylston,  you  have  some 
claim  upon  the  general,  but  it  may  not  be  strong  enough 
to  save  you  long.  A  service  now  might  make  his  pardon 
permanent." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  a  service  now?" 


BEFORE   THE   DICTATOR  217 

"A  few  words  as  to  the  weaker  points  of  the  Alamo, 
the  best  places  for  our  troops  to  attack.  You  cannot  do 
anything  for  the  defenders.  You  cannot  alter  their  fate 
in  any  particular,  but  you  might  do  something  for  your- 
self." 

Ned  did  not  wish  to  appear  dramatic.  He  merely 
turned  his  back  upon  the  young  Mexican. 

"Very  well,"  said  Urrea,  "I  made  you  the  offer.  It 
was  for  you  to  accept  it  or  not  as  you  wish." 

He  left  him  upon  the  roof,  and  Ned  saw  the  last  rim 
of  the  red  sun  sink  in  the  plain.  He  saw  the  twilight 
come,  and  the  Alamo  fade  into  a  dim  black  bulk  in  the 
darkness.  He  thought  once  that  he  heard  a  cry  of  a 
sentinel  from  its  walls,  "All's  well,"  but  he  knew  that 
it  was  only  fancy.  The  distance  was  far  too  great.  Be- 
sides, all  was  not  well. 

When  the  darkness  had  fully  come,  he  descended  with 
his  two  benevolent  jailers  to  a  lower  part  of  the  house, 
where  he  was  assigned  to  a  small  room,  with  a  single 
barred  window  and  without  the  possibility  j)l  escape. 
His  guards,  after  bringing  him  food  and  water,  gave  him 
a  polite  good  night  and  went  outside.  He  knew  that  they 
would  remain  on  watch  in  the  hall. 

Ned  could  eat  and  drink  but  little.  Nor  could  he  yet 
sleep.  The  night  was  far  too  heavy  upon  him  for  slum- 
ber. Besides,  it  had  brought  many  noises,  significant 
noises  that  he  knew.  He  heard  the  rumble  of  cannon 
wheels  over  the  rough  pavements,  and  the  shouts  of  men 
to  the  horses  or  mules.  He  heard  troops  passing,  now 
infantry,  and  then  cavalry,  the  hoofs  of  their  horses 
grinding  upon  the  stones. 

He  pressed  his  face  against  the  barred  window.  He 
was  eager  to  hear  and  yet  more  eager  to  see.  He  caught 
glimpses  only  of  horse  and  foot  as  they  passed,  but  he 


218  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

knew  what  all  those  sights  and  sounds  portended.  In  the 
night  the  steel  coil  of  the  Mexicans  was  being  drawn 
closer  and  closer  about  the  Alamo. 

Brave  and  resolute,  he  was  only  a  boy  after  all.  He 
felt  deserted  of  all  men.  He  wanted  to  be  back  there 
with  Crockett  and  Bowie  and  Travis  and  the  others. 
The  water  came  into  his  eyes,  and  unconsciously  he 
pulled  hard  at  the  iron  bars. 

He  remained  there  a  long  time,  listening  to  the  sounds. 
Once  he  heard  a  trumpet,  and  its  note  in  the  night  was 
singularly  piercing.  He  knew  that  it  was  a  signal,  prob- 
ably for  the  moving  of  a  regiment  still  closer  to  the 
Alamo.  But  there  were  no  shots  from  either  the  Mex- 
icans or  the  mission.  The  night  was  clear  with  many 
stars. 

After  two  or  three  hours  at  the  window  Ned  tried  to 
sleep.  There  was  a  narrow  bed  against  the  wall,  and  he 
lay  upon  it,  full  length,  but  he  did  not  even  close  his  eyes. 
He  became  so  restless  that  at  last  he  rose  and  went  to 
the  window  again.  It  must  have  been  then  past  mid- 
night. The  noises  had  ceased.  Evidently  the  Mexicans 
had  everything  ready.  The  wind  blew  cold  upon  his 
face,  but  it  brought  him  no  news  of  what  was  passing 
without. 

He  went  back  to  the  bed,  and  by  and  by  he  sank 
into  a  heavy  slumber. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
TO  THE  LAST  MAN 

v  ~1L  T"  ED  awoke  after  a  feverish  night,  when  there  was 
I^U      yet  but  a  strip  of  gray  in  the  east.    It  was  Sun- 
^~  day  morning,  but  he  had  lost  count  of  time,  and 

did  not  know  it.  He  had  not  undressed  at  all  when  he 
lay  down,  and  now  he  stood  by  the  window,  seeking  to 
see  and  hear.  But  the  light  was  yet  dim  and  the  sounds 
were  few.  Nevertheless  the  great  pulse  in  his  throat 
began  to  leap.  The  attack  was  at  hand. 

The  door  of  the  room  was  unlocked  and  the  two  peons 
who  had  guarded  him  upon  the  roof  came  for  him.  Ned 
saw  in  the  half  gloom  that  they  were  very  grave  of  coun- 
tenance. 

"We  are  to  take  you  to  the  noble  Captain  Urrea,  who 
is  waiting  for  you,"  said  Fernando. 

"Very  well,"  said  Ned.  "I  am  ready.  You  have  been 
kind  to  me,  and  I  hope  that  we  shall  meet  again  after 
to-day." 

Both  men  shook  their  heads. 

"We  fear  that  is  not  to  be,"  said  Fernando. 

They  found  Urrea  and  another  young  officer  waiting1 
at  the  door  of  the  house.  Urrea  was  in  his  best  uniform 
and  his  eyes  were  very  bright.  He  was  no  coward,  and 
Ned  knew  that  the  gleam  was  in  anticipation  of  the  com- 
ing attack. 

"The  time  is  at  hand,"  he  said,  "and  it  will  be  your 
wonderful  fortune  to  see  how  Mexico  strikes  down  her 
foe." 

219 


220  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

His  voice,  pitched  high,  showed  excitement,  and  a 
sense  of  the  dramatic.  Ned  said  nothing,  and  his  own 
pulses  began  to  leap  again.  The  strip  of  gray  in  the  east 
was  broadening,  and  he  now  saw  that  the  whole  town 
was  awake,  although  it  was  not  yet  full  daylight.  Santa 
Anna  had  been  at  work  in  the  night,  while  he  lay  in  that 
feverish  sleep.  He  heard  everywhere  now  the  sound  of 
voices,  the  clank  of  arms  and  the  beat  of  horses'  hoofs. 
The  flat  roofs  were  crowded  with  the  Mexican  people. 
Ned  saw  Mexican  women  there  in  their  dresses  of  bright 
colors,  like  Roman  women  in  the  Colosseum,  awaiting 
the  battle  of  the  gladiators.  The  atmosphere  was  sur- 
charged with  excitement,  and  the  sense  of  coming 
triumph. 

Ned's  breath  seemed  to  choke  in  his  throat  and  his 
heart  beat  painfully.  Once  more  he  wished  with  all  his 
soul  that  he  was  with  his  friends,  that  he  was  in  the 
Alamo.  He  belonged  with  them  there,  and  he  would 
rather  face  death  with  those  familiar  faces  around  him 
than  be  here,  safe  perhaps,  but  only  a  looker-on.  It  was 
with  him  now  a  matter  of  the  emotions,  and  not  of 
reasoned  intellect.  Once  more  he  looked  toward  the  old 
mission,  and  saw  the  dim  outline  of  the  buildings,  with 
the  dominating  walls  of  the  church.  He  could  not  see 
whether  anyone  watched  on  the  walls,  but  he  knew  that 
the  sentinels  were  there.  Perhaps  Crockett,  himself, 
stood  among  them  now,  looking  at  the  great  Mexican 
coil  of  steel  that  was  wrapping  itself  tighter  and  tighter 
around  the  Alamo.  Despite  himself,  Ned  uttered  a  sigh. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  you?"  asked  Urrea,  sharply. 
"Are  you  already  weeping  for  the  conquered?" 

"You  know  that  I  am  not,"  replied  Ned.  "You  need 
not  believe  me,  but  I  regret  that  I  am  not  in  the  Alamo 
with  my  friends." 


TO   THE   LAST   MAN  221 

"It's  an  idle  wish,"  said  Urrea,  "but  I  am  taking  you 
now  to  General  Santa  Anna.  Then  I  leave,  and  I  go 
there !  Look,  the  horsemen !" 

He  extended  his  hand,  and  Ned  saw  his  eyes  kindling. 
The  Mexican  cavalry  were  filing  out  in  the  dim  dawn, 
troop  after  troop,  the  early  light  falling  across  the  blades 
of  the  lances,  spurs  and  bridles  jingling.  All  rode  well, 
and  they  made  a  thrilling  picture,  as  they  rode  steadily 
on,  curving  about  the  old  fortress. 

"I  shall  soon  be  with  them,"  said  Urrea  in  a  tone  of 
pride.  "We  shall  see  that  not  a  single  one  of  your 
Texans  escapes  from  the  Alamo." 

Ned  felt  that  choking  in  his  throat  again,  but  he 
deemed  it  wiser  to  keep  silent.  They  were  going  toward 
the  main  plaza  now,  and  he  saw  masses  of  troops  gath- 
ered in  the  streets.  These  men  were  generally  silent,  and 
he  noticed  that  their  faces  expressed  no  elation.  He  di- 
vined at  once  that  they  were  intended  for  the  assault,  and 
they  had  no  cause  for  joy.  They  knew  that  they  must 
face  the  deadly  Texan  rifles. 

Urrea  led  the  way  to  a  fortified  battery  standing  in 
front  of  the  main  plaza.  A  brilliant  group  stood  behind 
an  earthen  wall,  and  Ned  saw  Santa  Anna  among  them. 

"I  have  brought  the  prisoner,"  said  Urrea,  saluting. 

"Very  good,"  replied  the  dictator,  "and  now,  Captain 
Urrea,  you  can  join  your  command.  You  have  served 
me  well,  and  you  shall  have  your  share  in  the  glory  of 
this  day." 

Urrea  flushed  with  pride  at  the  compliment,  and  bowed 
low.  Then  he  hurried  away  to  join  the  horse.  Santa 
Anna  turned  his  attention. 

"I  have  brought  you  here  at  this  moment,"  he  said,  "to 
give  you  a  last  chance.  It  is  not  due  to  any  mercy  for 
you,  a  rebel,  but  it  is  because  you  have  been  so  long  in 


222  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

the  Alamo  that  you  must  know  it  well.  Point  out  to  us 
its  weakest  places,  and  you  shall  be  free.  You  shall  go 
north  in  safety.  I  promise  it  here,  in  the  presence  of  my 
generals." 

"I  have  nothing  to  tell,"  replied  Ned. 

"Are  you  sure?" 

"Absolutely  sure." 

"Then  it  merely  means  a  little  more  effusion  of  blood. 
You  may  stay  with  us  and  see  the  result." 

All  the  ancient,  inherited  cruelty  now  shone  in  Santa 
Anna's  eyes.  It  was  the  strange  satanic  streak  in  him 
that  made  him  keep  his  captive  there  in  order  that  he 
might  see  the  fall  of  his  own  comrades.  A  half  dozen 
guards  stood  near  the  person  of  the  dictator,  and  he  said 
to  them : 

"If  the  prisoner  seeks  to  leave  us,  shoot  him  at  once." 

The  manner  of  Santa  Anna  was  arrogant  to  the  last 
degree,  but  Ned  was  glad  to  stay.  He  was  eager  to  see 
the  great  panorama  which  was  about  to  be  unrolled  be- 
fore him.  He  was  completely  absorbed  in  the  Alamo, 
and  he  utterly  forgot  himself.  Black  specks  were  dan- 
cing before  his  eyes,  and  the  blood  was  pounding  in  his 
ears,  but  he  took  no  notice  of  such  things. 

The  gray  bar  in  the  east  broadened.  A  thin  streak  of 
shining  silver  cut  through  it,  and  touched  for  a  moment 
the  town,  the  river,  the  army  and  the  Alamo.  Ned 
leaned  against  an  edge  of  the  earthwork,  and  breathed 
heavily  and  painfully.  He  had  not  known  that  his  heart 
could  beat  so  hard. 

The  same  portentous  silence  prevailed  everywhere. 
The  men  and  women  on  the  roofs  of  the  houses  were 
absolutely  still.  The  cavalry,  their  line  now  drawn  com- 
pletely about  the  mission,  were  motionless.  Ned,  strain- 
ing his  eyes  toward  the  Alamo,  could  see  nothing  there. 


TO   THE   LAST   MAN  223 

Suddenly  he  put  up  his  hand  and  wiped  his  forehead. 
His  fingers  came  away  wet.  His  blood  prickled  in  his 
veins  like  salt.  He  became  impatient,  angry.  If  the 
mine  was  ready,  why  did  they  not  set  the  match  ?  Such 
waiting  was  the  pitch  of  cruelty. 

"Cos,  my  brother,"  said  Santa  Anna  to  the  swart  gen- 
eral, "take  your  command.  It  was  here  that  the  Texan 
rebels  humiliated  you,  and  it  is  here  that  you  shall  have 
full  vengeance." 

Cos  saluted,  and  strode  away.  He  was  to  lead  one  of 
the  attacking  columns. 

"Colonel  Duque,"  said  Santa  Anna  to  another  officer, 
"you  are  one  of  the  bravest  of  the  brave.  You  are  to 
direct  the  attack  on  the  northern  wall,  and  may  quick 
success  go  with  you." 

Duque  glowed  at  the  compliment,  and  he,  too,  strode 
away  to  the  head  of  his  column. 

"Colonel  Romero,"  said  Santa  Anna,  "the  third  column 
is  yours,  and  the  fourth  is  yours,  Colonel  Morales.  Take 
your  places  and,  at  the  signal  agreed,  the  four  columns 
will  charge  with  all  their  strength.  Let  us  see  which  will 
be  the  first  in  the  Alamo." 

The  two  colonels  saluted  as  the  others  had  done,  and 
joined  their  columns. 

The  bar  of  gray  in  the  east  was  still  broadening,  but 
the  sun  itself  did  not  yet  show.  The  walls  of  the  Alamo 
were  still  dim,  and  Ned  could  not  see  whether  any  fig- 
ures were  there.  Santa  Anna  had  put  a  pair  of  powerful 
glasses  to  his  eyes,  but  when  he  took  them  down  he  said 
nothing  of  what  he  had  seen. 

"Are  all  the  columns  provided?"  he  said  to  General 
Sesma,  who  stood  beside  him. 

"They  have  everything,"  replied  Sesma,  "crowbars, 
axes,  scaling  ladders.  Sir,  they  cannot  fail!" 


224  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

"No,  they  cannot,"  said  Santa  Anna  exultantly. 
"These  Texan  rebels  fight  like  demons,  but  we  have  now 
a  net  through  which  they  cannot  break.  General  Gaona, 
see  that  the  bands  are  ready  and  direct  them  to  play  the 
Deguelo  when  the  signal  for  the  charge  is  given." 

Ned  shivered  again.  The  "Deguelo"  meant  the  "cut- 
ting-of-throats,"  and  it,  too,  was  to  be  the  signal  of  no 
quarter.  He  remembered  the  red  flag,  and  he  looked  up. 
It  hung,  as  ever,  on  the  tower  of  the  church  of  San  Fer- 
nando, and  its  scarlet  folds  moved  slowly  in  the  light 
morning  breeze.  General  Gaona  returned. 

"The  bands  are  ready,  general,"  he  said,  "and  when 
the  signal  is  given  they  will  play  the  air  that  you  have 
chosen." 

A  Mexican,  trumpet  in  hand,  was  standing  near. 
Santa  Anna  turned  and  said  to  him  the  single  word : 

"Blow !" 

The  man  lifted  the  trumpet  to  his  lips,  and  blew  a  long 
note  that  swelled  to  its  fullest  pitch,  then  died  away  in 
a  soft  echo. 

It  was  the  signal.  A  tremendous  cry  burst  from  the 
vast  ring  of  the  thousands,  and  it  was  taken  up  by  the 
shrill  voices  of  the  women  on  the  flat  roofs  of  the  houses. 
The  great  circle  of  cavalrymen  shook  their  lances  and 
sabers  until  they  glittered. 

When  the  last  echo  of  the  trumpet's  dying  note  was 
gone  the  bands  began  to  play  with  their  utmost  vigor  the 
murderous  tune  that  Santa  Anna  had  chosen.  Then  four 
columns  of  picked  Mexican  troops,  three  thousand  strong, 
rushed  toward  the  Alamo.  Santa  Anna  and  the  generals 
around  him  were  tremendously  excited.  Their  manner 
made  no  impression  upon  Ned  then,  but  he  recalled 
*he  fact  afterward. 

The   boy  became   quickly  unconscious   of   everything 


TO   THE   LAST   MAN  225 

except  the  charge  of  the  Mexicans  and  the  Alamo.  He 
no  longer  remembered  that  he  was  a  pHsoner.  He  no 
longer  remembered  anything  about  himself.  The  cruel 
throb  of  that  murderous  tune,  the  Deguelo,  beat  upon  the 
drums  of  his  ears,  and  mingled  with  it  came  the  sound 
of  the  charging  Mexicans,  the  beat  of  their  feet,  the 
clank  of  their  arms,  and  the  shouts  of  their  officers. 

Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  herded  masses  of  the 
Mexican  troops,  the  Mexican  officers  were  full  of  cour- 
age. They  were  always  in  advance,  waving  their  swords 
and  shouting  to  their  men  to  come  on.  Another  silver 
gleam  flashed  through  the  gray  light  of  the  early  morn- 
ing, ran  along  the  edges  of  swords  and  lances,  and  lin- 
gered for  a  moment  over  the  dark  walls  of  the  Alamo. 

No  sound  came  from  the  mission,  not  a  shot,  not  a 
cry.  Were  they  asleep  ?  Was  it  possible  that  every  man, 
overpowered  by  fatigue,  had  fallen  into  slumber  at  such  a 
moment?  Could  such  as  Crockett  and  Bowie  and  Travis 
be  blind  to  their  danger?  Such  painful  questions  raced 
through  Ned's  mind.  He  felt  a  chill  run  down  his  spine. 
Yet  his  breath  was  like  fire  to  his  lips. 

"Nothing  will  stop  them!"  cried  Santa  Anna.  "The 
Texans  cower  before  such  a  splendid  force!  They  will 
lay  down  their  arms !" 

Ned  felt  his  body  growing  colder  and  colder,  and  there 
was  a  strange  tingling  at  the  roots  of  the  hair.  Now 
the  people  upon  the  roofs  were  shouting  their  utmost, 
and  the  voices  of  many  women  united  in  one  shrill,  pierc- 
ing cry.  But  he  never  turned  to  look  at  them.  His  eyes 
were  always  on  the  charging  host  which  converged  so 
fast  upon  the  Alamo. 

The  trumpet  blew  another  signal,  and  there  was  a 
crash  so  loud  that  it  made  Ned  jump.  All  the  Mexican 
batteries  had  fired  at  once  over  the  heads  of  their  own 


226  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

troops  at  the  Alamo.  While  the  gunners  reloaded  the 
smoke  of  the  discharge  drifted  away  and  the  Alamo  still 
stood  silent.  But  over  it  yet  hung  a  banner  on  which  was 
written  in  great  letters  the  word,  "Texas." 

The  Mexican  troops  were  coming  close  now.  The 
bands  playing  the  Deguelo  swelled  to  greater  volume  and 
the  ground  shook  again  as  the  Mexican  artillery  fired  its 
second  volley.  When  the  smoke  drifted  away  again  the 
Alamo  itself  suddenly  burst  into  flame.  The  Texan  can- 
non at  close  range  poured  their  shot  and  shell  into  the 
dense  ranks  of  the  Mexicans.  But  piercing  through  the 
heavy  thud  of  the  cannon  came  the  shriller  and  more 
deadly  crackle  of  the  rifles.  The  Texans  were  there, 
every  one  of  them,  on  the  walls.  He  might  have  known 
it.  Nothing  on  earth  could  catch  them  asleep,  nor  could 
anything  on  earth  or  under  it  frighten  them  into  laying 
down  their  arms. 

Ned  began  to  shout,  but  only  hoarse  cries  came  from 
a  dry  throat  through  dry  lips.  The  great  pulses  in  his 
throat  were  leaping  again,  and  he  was  saying:  "The 
Texans !  The  Texans !  Oh,  the  brave  Texans !" 

But  nobody  heard  him.  Santa  Anna,  Filisola,  Castril- 
lon,  Tolsa,  Gaona  and  the  other  generals  were  leaning 
against  the  earthwork,  absorbed  in  the  tremendous  spec- 
tacle that  was  passing  before  them.  The  soldiers  who 
were  to  guard  the  prisoner  forgot  him  and  they,  too,  were 
engrossed  in  the  terrible  and  thrilling  panorama  of  war. 
Ned  might  have  walked  away,  no  one  noticing,  but  he, 
too,  had  but  one  thought,  and  that  was  the  Alamo. 

He  saw  the  Mexican  columns  shiver  when  the  first 
volley  was  poured  upon  them  from  the  walls.  In  a  single 
glance  aside  he  beheld  the  exultant  look  on  the  faces  of 
Santa  Anna  and  his  generals  die  away,  and  he  suddenly 
became  conscious  that  the  shrill  shouting  on  the  flat  roofs 


TO   THE   LAST   MAN  227 

of  the  houses  had  ceased.  But  the  Mexican  cannon  still 
poured  a  cloud  of  shot  and  shell  over  the  heads  of  their 
men  at  the  Alamo,  and  the  troops  went  on. 

Ned,  keen  of  ear  and  so  intent  that  he  missed  nothing, 
could  now  separate  the  two  fires.  The  crackle  of  the 
rifles  which  came  from  the  Alamo  dominated.  Rapid, 
steady,  incessant,  it  beat  heavily  upon  the  hearing  and 
nerves.  Pyramids  and  spires  of  smoke  arose,  drifted  and 
arose  again.  In  the  intervals  he  saw  the  walls  of  the 
church  a  sheet  of  flame,  and  he  saw  the  Mexicans  falling 
by  dozens  and  scores  upon  the  plain.  He  knew  that  at 
the  short  range  the  Texan  rifles  never  missed,  and  that 
the  hail  of  their  bullets  was  cutting  through  the  Mexican 
ranks  like  a  fire  through  dry  grass. 

"God,  how  they  fight !"  he  heard  one  of  the  generals — 
he  never  knew  which — exclaim. 

Then  he  saw  the  officers  rushing  about,  shouting  to 
the  men,  striking  them  with  the  flats  of  their  swords  and 
urging  them  on.  The  Mexican  army  responded  to  the 
appeal,  lifted  itself  up  and  continued  its  rush.  The  fire 
from  the  Alamo  seemed  to  Ned  to  increase.  The  fortress 
was  a  living  flame.  He  had  not  thought  that  men  could 
fire  so  fast,  but  they  had  three  or  four  rifles  apiece. 

The  silence  which  had  replaced  the  shrill  shouting  in 
the  town  continued.  All  the  crash  was  now  in  front  of 
them,  and  where  they  stood  the  sound  of  the  human  voice 
would  carry.  In  a  dim  far-away  manner  Ned  heard  the 
guards  talking  to  one  another.  Their  words  showed  un- 
easiness. It  was  not  the  swift  triumphal  rush  into  the 
Alamo  that  they  had  expected.  Great  swaths  had  been 
cut  through  the  Mexican  army.  Santa  Anna  paled  more 
than  once  when  he  saw  his  men  falling  so  fast. 

"They  cannot  recoil !    They  cannot !"  he  cried. 

But  they  did.     The  column  led  by  Colonel  Duque,  a 


228  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

brave  man,  was  now  at  the  northern  wall,  and  the  men 
were  rushing  forward  with  the  crowbars,  axes  and 
scaling  ladders.  The  Texan  rifles,  never  more  deadly, 
sent  down  a  storm  of  bullets  upon  them.  A  score  of  men 
fell  all  at  once.  Among  them  was  Duque,  wounded  ter- 
ribly. The  whole  column  broke  and  reeled  away,  carrying 
Duque  with  them. 

Ned  saw  the  face  of  Santa  Anna  turn  purple  with 
rage.  He  struck  the  earthwork  furiously  with  the  flat 
of  his  sword. 

"Go!  Go!"  he  cried  to  Gaona  and  Tolsa.  "Rally 
them !  See  that  they  do  not  run !" 

The  two  generals  sprang  from  the  battery  and  rushed 
to  their  task.  The  Mexican  cannon  had  ceased  firing, 
for  fear  of  shooting  down  their  own  men,  and  the  smoke 
was  drifting  away  from  the  field.  The  morning  was  also 
growing  much  lighter.  The  gray  dawn  had  turned  to 
silver,  and  the  sun's  red  rim  was  just  showing  above  the 
eastern  horizon. 

The  Texan  cannon  were  silent,  too.  The  rifles  were 
now  doing  all  the  work.  The  volume  of  their  fire  never 
diminished.  Ned  saw  the  field  covered  with  slain,  and 
many  wounded  were  drifting  back  to  the  shelter  of  the 
earthworks  and  the  town. 

Duque's  column  was  rallied,  but  the  column  on  the  east 
and  the  column  on  the  west  were  also  driven  back,  and 
Santa  Anna  rushed  messenger  after  messenger,  hurrying 
up  fresh  men,  still  driving  the  whole  Mexican  army 
against  the  Alamo.  He  shouted  orders  incessantly,  al- 
though he  remained  safe  within  the  shelter  of  the  bat- 
tery. 

Ned  felt  an  immense  joy.  He  had  seen  the  attack 
beaten  off  at  three  points.  A  force  of  twenty  to  one  had 
been  compelled  to  recoil.  His  heart  swelled  with  pride  in 


TO   THE   LAST   MAN  229 

those  friends  of  his.  But  they  were  so  few  in  number! 
Even  now  the  Mexican  masses  were  reforming.  The 
officers  were  among  them,  driving  them  forward  with 
threats  and  blows.  The  great  ring  of  Mexican  cavalry, 
intended  to  keep  any  of  the  Texans  from  escaping,  also 
closed  in,  driving  their  own  infantry  forward  to  the 
assault. 

Ned's  heart  sank  as  the  whole  Mexican  army,  gather- 
ing now  at  the  northern  or  lower  wall,  rushed  straight  at 
the  barrier.  But  the  deadly  fire  of  the  rifles  flashed  from 
it,  and  their  front  line  went  down.  Again  they  recoiled, 
and  again  the  cavalry  closed  in,  holding  them  to  the 
task. 

There  was  a  pause  of  a  few  moments.  The  town  had 
been  silent  for  a  long  time,  and  the  Mexican  soldiers 
themselves  ceased  to  shout.  Clouds  of  smoke  eddied 
and  drifted  about  the  buildings.  The  light  of  the  morn- 
ing, first  gray,  then  silver,  turned  to  gold.  The  sun,  now 
high  above  the  earth's  rim,  poured  down  a  flood  of  rays. 

Everything  stood  out  sharp  and  clear.  Ned  saw  the 
buildings  of  the  Alamo  dark  against  the  sun,  and  he  saw 
men  on  the  walls.  He  saw  the  Mexican  columns  pressed 
together  in  one  great  force,  and  he  even  saw  the  still 
faces  of  many  who  lay  silent  on  the  plain. 

He  knew  that  the  Mexicans  were  about  to  charge 
again,  and  his  feeling  of  exultation  passed.  He  no 
longer  had  hope  that  the  defenders  of  the  Alamo  could 
beat  back  so  many.  He  thought  again  how  few,  how 
very  few,  were  the  Texans. 

The  silence  endured  but  a  moment  or  two.  Then  the 
Mexicans  rushed  forward  in  a  mighty  mass  at  the  low 
northern  wall,  the  front  lines  firing  as  they  went.  Flame 
burst  from  the  wall,  and  Ned  heard  once  more  the  deadly 
crackle  of  the  Texan  rifles.  The  ground  was  littered  by 


230  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

the  trail  of  the  Mexican  fallen,  but,  driven  by  their  offi- 
cers, they  went  on. 

Ned  saw  them  reach  the  wall  and  plant  the  scaling  lad- 
ders, many  of  them.  Scores  of  men  swarmed  up  the 
ladders  and  over  the  wall.  A  heavy  division  forced  its 
way  into  the  redoubt  through  the  sallyport,  and  as  Ned 
saw  he  uttered  a  deep  gasp.  He  knew  that  the  Alamo 
was  doomed.  And  the  Mexicans  knew  it,  too.  The 
shrill  screaming  of  the  women  began  again  from  the 
flat  roofs  of  the  houses,  and  shouts  burst  from  the  army 
also. 

"We  have  them !  We  have  them !"  cried  Santa  Anna, 
exultant  and  excited. 

Sheets  of  flame  still  burst  from  the  Alamo,  and  the 
rifles  still  poured  bullets  on  the  swarming  Mexican  forces, 
but  the  breach  had  been  made.  The  Mexicans  went  over 
the  low  wall  in  an  unbroken  stream,  and  they  crowded 
through  the  sallyport  by  hundreds.  They  were  inside 
now,  rushing  with  the  overwhelming  weight  of  twenty 
to  one  upon  the  little  garrison.  They  seized  the  Texan 
guns,  cutting  down  the  gunners  with  lances  and  sabers, 
and  they  turned  the  captured  cannon  upon  the  defenders. 

Some  of  the  buildings  inside  the  walls  were  of  adobe, 
and  they  were  soon  shattered  by  the  cannon  balls.  The 
Texans,  covered  with  smoke  and  dust  and  the  sweat  of 
battle,  were  forced  back  by  the  press  of  numbers  into  the 
convent  yard,  and  then  into  the  church  and  hospital. 
Here  the  cannon  and  rifles  in  hundreds  were  turned  upon 
them,  but  they  still  fought.  Often,  with  no  time  to  reload 
their  rifles,  they  clubbed  them,  and  drove  back  the  Mexi- 
can rush. 

The  Alamo  was  a  huge  volcano  of  fire  and  smoke,  of 
shouting  and  death.  Those  who  looked  on  became  silent 
again,  appalled  at  the  sights  and  sounds.  The  smoke 


TO   THE   LAST   MAN  231 

rose  far  above  the  mission,  and  caught  by  a  light  wind 
drifted  away  to  the  east.  The  Mexican  generals  brought 
up  fresh  forces  and  drove  them  at  the  fortress.  A  heavy 
column,  attacking  on  the  south  side,  where  no  defenders 
were  now  left,  poured  over  a  stockade  and  crowded  into 
the  mission.  The  circle  of  cavalry  about  the  Alamo  again 
drew  closer,  lest  any  Texan  should  escape.  But  it  was 
a  useless  precaution.  None  sought  flight. 

In  very  truth,  the  last  hope  of  the  Alamo  was  gone, 
and  perhaps  there  was  none  among  the  defenders  who 
did  not  know  it.  There  were  a  few  wild  and  desperate 
characters  of  the  border,  whom  nothing  in  life  became 
so  much  as  their  manner  of  leaving  it.  In  the  culminat- 
ing moment  of  the  great  tragedy  they  bore  themselves 
as  well  as  the  best. 

Travis,  the  commander,  and  Bonham  stood  in  the  long 
room  of  the  hospital  with  a  little  group  around  them, 
most  of  them  wounded,  the  faces  of  all  black  with  powder 
smoke.  But  they  fought  on.  Whenever  a  Mexican  ap- 
peared at  the  door  an  unerring  rifle  bullet  struck  him 
down.  Fifty  fell  at  that  single  spot  before  the  rifles,  yet 
they  succeeded  in  dragging  up  a  cannon,  thrust  its  muz- 
zle in  at  the  door  and  fired  it  twice  loaded  with  grape 
shot  into  the  room. 

The  Texans  were  cut  down  by  the  shower  of  missiles, 
and  the  whole  place  was  filled  with  smoke.  Then  the 
Mexicans  rushed  in  and  the  few  Texans  who  had  sur- 
vived the  grape  shot  fell  fighting  to  the  last  with  their 
clubbed  rifles.  Here  lay  Travis  of  the  white  soul  and 
beside  him  fell  the  brave  Bonham,  who  had  gone  out  for 
help,  and  who  had  returned  to  die  with  his  comrades. 
The  Texans  who  had  defended  the  room  against  so  many 
were  only  fifteen  in  number,  and  they  were  all  silent  now. 

Now  the  whole  attack  converged  on  the  church,  the 


232  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

strongest  part  of  the  Alamo,  where  the  Texans  were  mak- 
ing their  last  stand.  The  place  was  seething  with  fire  and 
smoke,  but  above  it  still  floated  the  banner  upon  which 
was  written  in  great  letters  the  word,  "Texas." 

The  Mexicans,  pressing  forward  in  dense  masses, 
poured  in  cannon  balls  and  musket  balls  at  every  opening. 
Half  the  Texans  were  gone,  but  the  others  never  ceased 
to  fire  with  their  rifles.  Within  that  raging  inferno  they 
could  hardly  see  one  another  for  the  smoke,  but  they 
were  all  animated  by  the  same  purpose,  to  fight  to  the 
death  and  to  carry  as  many  of  their  foes  with  them  as 
they  could. 

Evans,  who  had  commanded  the  cannon,  rushed  for  the 
magazine  to  blow  up  the  building.  They  had  agreed  that 
if  all  hope  were  lost  he  should  do  so,  but  he  was  killed  on 
his  way  by  a  bullet,  and  the  others  went  on  with  the 
combat. 

Near  the  entrance  to  the  church  stood  a  great  figure 
swinging  a  clubbed  rifle.  His  raccoon  skin  cap  was  lost, 
and  his  eyes  burned  like  coals  of  fire  in  his  swarthy  face. 
It  was  Crockett,  gone  mad  with  battle,  and  the  Mexicans 
who  pressed  in  recoiled  before  the  deadly  sweep  of  the 
clubbed  rifle.  Some  were  awed  by  the  terrific  figure, 
dripping  blood,  and  wholly  unconscious  of  danger. 

"Forward!"  cried  a  Mexican  officer,  and  one  of  his 
men  went  down  with  a  shattered  skull.  The  others 
shrank  back  again,  but  a  new  figure  pressed  into  the  ring. 
It  was  that  of  the  younger  Urrea.  At  the  last  moment 
he  had  left  the  cavalry  and  joined  in  the  assault. 

"Don't  come  within  reach  of  his  blows !"  he  cried. 
"Shoot  him !  Shoot  him !" 

He  snatched  a  double-barreled  pistol  from  his  own  belt 
and  fired  twice  straight  at  Crockett's  breast.  The  great 
Tennesseean  staggered,  dropped  his  rifle  and  the  flame 


TO   THE   LAST   MAN  233 

died  from  his  eyes.  With  a  howl  of  triumph  his  foes 
rushed  upon  him,  plunged  their  swords  and  bayonets  into 
his  body,  and  he  fell  dead  with  a  heap  of  the  Mexican 
slain  about  him. 

A  bullet  whistled  past  Urrea's  face  and  killed  a  man 
beyond  him.  He  sprang  back.  Bowie,  still  suffering 
severe  injuries  from  a  fall  from  a  platform,  was  lying  on 
a  cot  in  the  arched  room  to  the  left  of  the  entrance.  Un- 
able to  walk,  he  had  received  at  his  request  two  pistols, 
and  now  he  was  firing  them  as  fast  as  he  could  pull  the 
triggers  and  reload. 

"Shoot  him !    Shoot  him  at  once !"  cried  Urrea. 

His  own  pistol  was  empty  now,  but  a  dozen  musket 
balls  were  fired  into  the  room.  Bowie,  hit  twice,  never- 
theless raised  himself  upon  his  elbow,  aimed  a  pistol  with 
a  clear  eye  and  a  steady  hand,  and  pulled  the  trigger.  A 
Mexican  fell,  shot  through  the  heart,  but  another  volley 
of  musket  balls  was  discharged  at  the  Georgian.  Struck 
in  both  head  and  heart  he  suddenly  straightened  out  and 
lay  still  upon  the  cot.  Thus  died  the  famous  Bowie. 

Mrs.  Dickinson  and  her  baby  had  been  hidden  in  the 
arched  room  on  the  other  side  for  protection.  The  Mexi- 
cans killed  a  Texan  named  Walters  at  the  entrance,  and, 
wild  with  ferocity,  raised  his  body  upon  a  half  dozen 
bayonets  while  the  blood  ran  down  in  a  dreadful  stream 
upon  those  who  held  it  aloft. 

Urrea  rushed  into  the  room  and  found  the  cowering 
woman  and  her  baby.  The  Mexicans  followed,  and  were 
about  to  slay  them,  too,  when  a  gallant  figure  rushed  be- 
tween. It  was  the  brave  and  humane  Almonte.  Sword 
in  hand,  he  faced  the  savage  horde.  He  uttered  words 
that  made  Urrea  turn  dark  with  shame  and  leave  the 
room.  The  soldiers  were  glad  to  follow. 

At  the  far  end  of  the  church  a  few  Texans  were  left, 


234  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

still  fighting1  with  clubbed  rifles.  The  Mexicans  drew 
back  a  little,  raised  their  muskets  and  fired  an  immense 
shattering  volley.  When  the  smoke  cleared  away  not  a 
single  Texan  was  standing,  and  then  the  troops  rushed 
in  with  sword  and  bayonet. 

It  was  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  the  Alamo  had 
fallen.  The  defenders  were  less  than  nine  score,  and  they 
had  died  to  the  last  man.  A  messenger  rushed  away  at 
once  to  Santa  Anna  with  the  news  of  the  triumph,  and  he 
came  from  the  shelter,  glorying,  exulting  and  crying  that 
he  had  destroyed  the  Texans. 

Ned  followed  the  dictator.  He  never  knew  exactly 
why,  because  many  of  those  moments  were  dim,  like  the 
scenes  of  a  dream,  and  there  was  so  much  noise,  excite- 
ment and  confusion  that  no  one  paid  any  attention  to  him. 
But  an  overwhelming  power  drew  him  on  to  the  Alamo, 
and  he  rushed  in  with  the  Mexican  spectators. 

Ned  passed  through  the  sallyport  and  he  reeled  back 
aghast  for  a  moment.  The  Mexican  dead,  not  yet  picked 
up,  were  strewn  everywhere.  They  had  fallen  in  scores. 
The  lighter  buildings  were  smashed  by  cannon  balls  and 
shells.  The  earth  was  gulleyed  and  torn.  The  smoke 
from  so  much  firing  drifted  about  in  banks  and  clouds, 
and  it  gave  forth  the  pungent  odor  of  burned  gunpowder. 

The  boy  knew  not  only  that  the  Alamo  had  fallen,  but 
that  all  of  its  defenders  had  fallen  with  it.  The  knowl- 
edge was  instinctive.  He  had  been  with  those  men  al- 
most to  the  last  day  of  the  siege,  and  he  had  understood 
their  spirit. 

He  was  not  noticed  in  the  crush.  Santa  Anna  and  the 
generals  were  running  into  the  church,  and  he  followed 
them.  Here  he  saw  the  Texan  dead,  and  he  saw  also  a 
curious  crowd  standing  around  a  fallen  form.  He  pressed 
into  the  ring  and  his  heart  gave  a  great  throb  of  grief. 


TO   THE   LAST   MAN  235 

It  was  Crockett,  lying  upon  his  back,  his  body  pierced 
by  many  wounds.  Ned  had  known  that  he  would  find  him 
thus,  but  the  shock,  nevertheless,  was  terrible.  Yet 
Crockett's  countenance  was  calm.  He  bore  no  wounds 
in  the  face,  and  he  lay  almost  as  if  he  had  died  in  his  bed. 
It  seemed  to  Ned  even  in  his  grief  that  no  more  fitting 
death  could  have  come  to  the  old  hero. 

Then,  following  another  crowd,  he  saw  Bowie,  also 
lying  peacefully  in  death  upon  his  cot.  He  felt  the  same 
grief  for  him  that  he  had  felt  for  Crockett,  but  it  soon 
passed  in  both  cases.  A  strange  mood  of  exaltation  took 
its  place.  They  had  died  as  one  might  wish  to  die,  since 
death  must  come  to  all.  It  was  glorious  that  these  de- 
fenders of  the  Alamo,  comrades  of  his,  should  have  fallen 
to  the  last  man.  The  full  splendor  of  their  achievement 
suddenly  burst  in  a  dazzling  vision  before  him.  Texans 
who  furnished  such  valor  could  not  be  conquered.  Santa 
Anna  might  have  twenty  to  one  or  fifty  to  one  or  a  hun- 
dred to  one,  in  the  end  it  would  not  matter. 

The  mood  endured.  He  looked  upon  the  dead  faces  of 
Travis  and  Bonham  also,  and  he  was  not  shaken.  He  saw 
others,  dozens  and  dozens  whom  he  knew,  and  the  faces 
of  all  of  them  seemed  peaceful  to  him.  The  shouting 
and  cheering  and  vast  chatter  of  the  Mexicans  did  not 
disturb  him.  His  mood  was  so  high  that  all  these  things 
passed  as  nothing. 

Ned  made  no  attempt  to  escape.  He  knew  that  while 
he  might  go  about  almost  as  he  chose  in  this  crowd 
of  soldiers,  now  disorganized,  the  ring  of  cavalry  be- 
yond would  hold  him.  The  thought  of  escape,  however, 
was  but  little  in  his  mind  just  then.  He  was  absorbed  in 
the  great  tomb  of  the  Alamo.  Here,  despite  the  recent 
work  of  the  cannon,  all  things  looked  familiar.  He  could 
mark  the  very  spots  where  he  had  stood  and  talked  with 


236  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

Crockett  or  Bowie.  He  knew  how  the  story  of  the  im- 
mortal defence  would  spread  like  fire  throughout  Texas 
and  beyond.  When  he  should  tell  how  he  had  seen  the 
faces  of  the  heroes,  every  heart  must  leap. 

He  wandered  back  to  the  church,  where  the  curious 
still  crowded.  Many  people  from  the  town,  influential 
Mexicans,  wished  to  see  the  terrible  Texans,  who  yet  lay 
as  they  had  fallen.  Some  spoke  scornful  words,  but  most 
regarded  them  with  awe.  Ned  looked  at  Crockett  for  the 
second  time,  and  a  hand  touched  him  on  the  shoulder.  It 
was  Urrea. 

"Where  are  your  Texans  now?"  he  asked. 

"They  are  gone,"  replied  Ned,  "but  they  will  never  be 
forgotten."  And  then  he  added  in  a  flash  of  anger. 
"Five  or  six  times  as  many  Mexicans  have  gone  with 
them." 

"It  is  true,"  said  the  young  Mexican  thoughtfully. 
"They  fought  like  cornered  mountain  wolves.  We  admit 
it.  And  this  one,  Crockett  you  call  him,  was  perhaps  the 
most  terrible  of  them  all.  He  swung  his  clubbed  rifle  so 
fiercely  that  none  dared  come  within  its  reach.  I  slew 
him." 

"You?"  exclaimed  Ned. 

"Yes,  I !  Why  should  I  not  ?  I  fired  two  pistol  bullets 
into  him  and  he  fell." 

He  spoke  with  a  certain  pride.  Ned  said  nothing,  but 
he  pressed  his  teeth  together  savagely  and  his  heart 
swelled  with  hate  of  the  sleek  and  triumphant  Urrea. 

"General  Santa  Anna,  engrossed  in  much  more  im- 
portant matters,  has  doubtless  forgotten  you,"  continued 
the  Mexican,  "but  I  will  see  that  you  do  not  escape.  Why 
he  spares  you  I  know  not,  but  it  is  his  wish." 

He  called  to  two  soldiers,  whom  he  detailed  to  follow 
Ned  and  see  that  he  made  no  attempt  to  escape.  The  boy 


TO   THE   LAST   MAN  237 

was  yet  so  deeply  absorbed  in  the  Alamo  that  no  room 
was  left  in  his  mind  for  anything  else.  Nor  did  he  care 
to  talk  further  with  Urrea,  who  he  knew  was  not  above 
aiming  a  shaft  or  two  at  an  enemy  in  his  power.  He  re- 
mained in  the  crowd  until  Santa  Anna  ordered  that  all 
but  the  troops  be  cleared  from  the  Alamo. 

Then,  at  the  order  of  the  dictator,  the  bodies  of  the 
Texans  were  taken  without.  A  number  of  them  were 
spread  upon  the  ground,  and  were  covered  with  a  thick 
layer  of  dry  wood  and  brush.  Then  more  bodies  of  men 
and  heaps  of  dry  wood  were  spread  in  alternate  layers 
until  the  funeral  pile  was  complete. 

Young  Urrea  set  the  torch,  while  the  Mexican  army 
and  population  looked  on.  The  dry  wood  flamed  up 
rapidly  and  the  whole  was  soon  a  pyramid  of  fire  and 
smoke.  Ned  was  not  shocked  at  this  end,  even  of  the 
bodies  of  brave  men.  He  recalled  the  stories  of  ancient 
heroes,  the  bodies  of  whom  had  been  consumed  on  just 
such  pyres  as  this,  and  he  was  willing  that  his  comrades 
should  go  to  join  Hercules,  Hector,  Achilles  and  the  rest. 

The  flames  roared  and  devoured  the  great  pyramid, 
which  sank  lower,  and  at  last  Ned  turned  away.  His 
mood  of  exaltation  was  passing.  No  one  could  remain 
keyed  to  that  pitch  many  hours.  Overwhelming  grief 
and  despair  came  in  its  place.  His  mind  raged  against 
everything,  against  the  cruelty  of  Santa  Anna,  who  had 
hoisted  the  red  flag  of  no  quarter,  against  fate,  that  had 
allowed  so  many  brave  men  to  perish,  and  against  the 
overwhelming  numbers  that  the  Mexicans  could  always 
bring  against  the  Texans. 

He  walked  gloomily  toward  the  town,  the  two  soldiers 
who  had  been  detailed  as  guards  following  close  behind 
him.  He  looked  back,  saw  the  sinking  blaze  of  the 
funeral  pyre,  shuddered  and  walked  on. 


238  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

San  Antonio  de  Bexar  was  rejoicing.  Most  of  its 
people,  Mexican  to  the  core,  shared  in  the  triumph  of 
Santa  Anna.  The  terrible  Texans  were  gone,  annihilated, 
and  Santa  Anna  was  irresistible.  The  conquest  of  Texas 
was  easy  now.  No,  it  was  achieved  already.  They  had 
the  dictator's  own  word  for  it  that  the  rest  was  a  mere 
matter  of  gathering  up  the  fragments. 

Some  of  the  graver  and  more  kindly  Mexican  officers 
thought  of  their  own  losses.  The  brave  and  humane 
Almonte  walked  through  the  courts  and  buildings  of  the 
Alamo,  and  his  face  blanched  when  he  reckoned  their 
losses.  A  thousand  men  killed  or  wounded  was  a  great 
price  to  pay  for  the  nine  score  Texans  who  were  sped. 
But  no  such  thoughts  troubled  Santa  Anna.  All  the  vain- 
glory of  his  nature  was  aflame.  They  were  decorating 
the  town  with  all  the  flags  and  banners  and  streamers 
they  could  find,  and  he  knew  that  it  was  for  him.  At 
night  they  would  illuminate  in  his  honor.  He  stretched 
out  his  arm  toward  the  north  and  west,  and  murmured 
that  it  was  all  his.  He  would  be  the  ruler  of  an  empire 
half  the  size  of  Europe.  The  scattered  and  miserable 
Texans  could  set  no  bounds  to  his  ambition.  He  had 
proved  it. 

He  would  waste  no  more  time  in  that  empty  land  of 
prairies  and  plains.  He  sent  glowing  dispatches  about 
his  victory  to  the  City  of  Mexico  and  announced  that  he 
would  soon  come.  His  subordinates  would  destroy  the 
wandering  bands  of  Texans.  Then  he  did  another  thing 
that  appealed  to  his  vanity.  He  wrote  a  proclamation 
to  the  Texans  announcing  the  fall  of  the  Alamo,  and 
directing  them  to  submit  at  once,  on  pain  of  death,  to  his 
authority.  He  called  for  Mrs.  Dickinson,  the  young 
wife,  now  widow,  whom  the  gallantry  of  Almonte  had 
saved  from  massacre  in  the  Alamo.  He  directed  her  to 


TO   THE   LAST   MAN  239 

take  his  threat  to  the  Texans  at  Gonzales,  and  she  will- 
ingly accepted.  Mounting  a  horse  and  alone  save  for  the 
baby  in  her  arms,  she  rode  away  from  San  Antonio, 
shuddering  at  the  sight  of  the  Mexicans,  and  passed  out 
upon  the  desolate  and  dangerous  prairies. 

The  dictator  was  so  absorbed  in  his  triumph  and  his 
plans  for  his  greater  glory  that  for  the  time  he  forgot  all 
about  Ned  Fulton,  his  youthful  prisoner,  who  had  crossed 
the  stream  and  who  was  now  in  the  town,  attended  by  the 
two  peons  whom  Urrea  had  detailed  as  his  guards.  But 
Ned  had  come  out  of  his  daze,  and  his  mind  was  as  keen 
and  alert  as  ever.  The  effects  of  the  great  shock  of  hor- 
ror remained.  His  was  not  a  bitter  nature,  but  he  could 
not  help  feeling  an  intense  hatred  of  the  Mexicans.  He 
was  on  the  battle  line,  and  he  saw  what  they  were  doing. 
He  resolved  that  now  was  his  time  to  escape,  and  in  the 
great  turmoil  caused  by  the  excitement  and  rejoicing  in 
San  Antonio  he  did  not  believe  that  it  would  be  difficult. 

He  carefully  cultivated  the  good  graces  of  the  two 
soldiers  who  were  guarding  him.  He  bought  for  them 
mescal  and  other  fiery  drinks  which  were  now  being  sold 
in  view  of  the  coming  festival.  Their  good  nature  in- 
creased and  also  their  desire  to  get  rid  of  a  task  that 
had  been  imposed  upon  them.  Why  should  they  guard 
a  boy  when  everybody  else  was  getting  ready  to  be 
merry  ? 

They  went  toward  the  Main  Plaza,  and  came  to  the 
Zambrano  Row,  where  the  Texans  had  fought  their  way 
when  they  took  San  Antonio  months  before.  Ned  looked 
up  at  the  buildings.  They  were  still  dismantled.  Great 
holes  were  in  the  walls  and  the  empty  windows  were  like 
blind  eyes.  He  saw  at  once  that  their  former  inhabi- 
tants had  not  yet  returned  to  them,  and  here  he  believed 
was  his  chance. 


240  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

When  they  stood  beside  the  first  house  he  called  the 
attention  of  his  guards  to  some  Mexican  women  who  were 
decorating  a  doorway  across  the  street.  When  they 
looked  he  darted  into  the  first  of  the  houses  in  the  Zam- 
brano  Row.  He  entered  a  large  room  and  at  the  corner 
saw  a  stairway.  He  knew  this  place.  He  had  been  here 
in  the  siege  of  San  Antonio  by  the  Texans,  and  now  he 
had  the  advantage  over  his  guards,  who  were  probably 
strangers. 

He  rushed  for  the  staircase  and,  just  as  he  reached  the 
top,  one  of  the  guards,  who  had  followed  as  soon  as  they 
noticed  the  flight  of  the  prisoner,  fired  his  musket.  The 
discharge  roared  in  the  room,  but  the  bullet  struck  the 
wall  fully  a  foot  away  from  the  target.  Ned  was  on  the 
second  floor,  and  out  of  range  the  next  moment.  He 
knew  that  the  soldiers  would  follow  him,  and  he  passed 
through  the  great  hole,  broken  by  the  Texans,  into  the 
next  house. 

Here  he  paused  to  listen,  and  he  heard  the  two  soldiers 
muttering  and  breathing  heavily.  The  distaste  which 
they  already  felt  for  their  task  had  become  a  deep  dis- 
gust. Why  should  they  be  deprived  of  their  part  in  the 
festival  to  follow  up  a  prisoner?  What  did  a  single  cap- 
tive amount  to,  anyhow?  Even  if  he  escaped  now  the 
great,  the  illustrious  Santa  Anna,  whose  eyes  saw  all 
things,  would  capture  him  later  on  when  he  swept  all  the 
scattered  Texans  into  his  basket. 

Ned  went  from  house  to  house  through  the  holes 
broken  in  the  party  walls,  and  occasionally  he  heard  his 
pursuers  slouching  along  and  grumbling.  At  the  fourth 
house  he  slipped  out  upon  the  roof,  and  lay  flat  near  the 
stone  coping. 

He  knew  that  if  the  soldiers  came  upon  the  roof  they 
would  find  him,  but  he  relied  upon  the  mescal  and  their 


TO   THE   LAST   MAN  241 

lack  of  zeal.  He  heard  them  once  tramping  about  in  the 
room  below  him,  and  then  he  heard  them  no  more. 

Ned  remained  all  the  rest  of  the  afternoon  upon  the 
roof,  not  daring  to  leave  his  cramped  position  against  the 
coping.  He  felt  absolutely  safe  there  from  observation. 
Mexicans  would  not  be  prowling  through  dismantled  and 
abandoned  houses  at  such  a  time.  Now  and  then  gay 
shouts  came  from  the  streets  below.  The  Mexicans  of 
Bexar  were  disturbed  little  by  the  great  numbers  of  their 
people  who  had  fallen  at  the  Alamo.  The  dead  were  from 
the  far  valleys  of  Mexico,  and  were  strangers. 

Ned  afterward  thought  that  he  must  have  slept  a  little 
toward  twilight,  but  he  was  never  sure  of  it.  He  saw 
the  sun  set,  and  the  gray  and  silent  Alamo  sink  away 
into  the  darkness.  Then  he  slipped  from  the  roof,  anx- 
ious to  be  away  before  the  town  was  illuminated.  He 
had  no  difficulty  at  all  in  passing  unnoticed  through  the 
streets,  and  he  made  his  way  straight  for  the  Alamo. 

He  was  reckoning  very  shrewdly  now.  He  knew  that 
the  superstitious  Mexicans  would  avoid  the  mission  at 
night  as  a  place  thronged  with  ghosts,  and  that  Santa 
Anna  would  not  need  to  post  any  guard  within  those 
walls.  He  would  pass  through  the  inclosures,  then  over 
the  lower  barriers  by  which  the  Mexicans  had  entered, 
and  thence  into  the  darkness  beyond. 

It  seemed  to  him  the  best  road  to  escape,  and  he  had 
another  object  also  in  entering  the  Alamo.  The  defenders 
had  had  three  or  four  rifles  apiece,  and  he  was  convinced 
that  somewhere  in  the  rooms  he  would  find  a  good  one, 
with  sufficient  ammunition. 

It  was  with  shudders  that  he  entered  the  Alamo,  and 
the  shudders  came  again  when  he  looked  about  the  blood- 
stained courts  and  rooms,  lately  the  scene  of  such  ter- 
rible strife,  but  now  so  silent.  In  a  recess  of  the  church 


242  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

which  had  been  used  as  a  little  storage  place  by  himself 
and  Crockett  he  found  an  excellent  rifle  of  the  long-bar- 
reled Western  pattern,  a  large  horn  of  powder  and  a 
pouch  full  of  bullets.  There  was  also  a  supply  of  dried 
beef,  which  he  took,  too. 

Now  he  felt  himself  a  man  again.  He  would  find  the 
Texans  and  then  they  would  seek  vengeance  for  the 
Alamo.  He  crossed  the  Main  Plaza,  dropped  over  the 
low  wall  and  quickly  disappeared  in  the  dusk. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
THE  NEWS  OF  THE  FALL 

FIVE  days  before  the  fall  of  the  Alamo  a  little  group 
of  men  began  to  gather  at  the  village  of  Wash- 
ington, on  the  Brazos  river  in  Texas.  The  name 
of  the  little  town  indicated  well  whence  its  people  had 
come.  All  the  houses  were  new,  mostly  of  unpainted 
wood,  and  they  contained  some  of  the  furniture  of 
necessity,  none  of  luxury.  The  first  and  most  important 
article  was  the  rifle  which  the  Texans  never  needed  more 
than  they  did  now. 

But  this  new  and  little  Washington  was  seething  with 
excitement  and  suspense,  and  its  population  was  now 
more  than  triple  the  normal.  News  had  come  that  the 
Alamo  was  beleaguered  by  a  force  many  times  as  numer- 
ous as  its  defenders,  and  that  Crockett,  Bowie,  Travis 
and  other  famous  men  were  inside.  They  had  heard  also 
that  Santa  Anna  had  hoisted  the  red  flag  of  no  quarter, 
and  that  Texans  everywhere,  if  taken,  would  be  slaugh- 
tered as  traitors.  The  people  of  Washington  had  full 
cause  for  their  excitement  and  suspense. 

The  little  town  also  had  the  unique  distinction  of  being 
a  capital  for  a  day  or  two.  The  Texans  felt,  with  the 
news  that  Santa  Anna  had  enveloped  the  Alamo,  that 
they  must  take  decisive  action.  They  believed  that  the 
Mexicans  had  broken  every  promise  to  the  Texans.  They 
knew  that  not  only  their  liberty  and  property,  but  their 

243 


244  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

lives,  also,  were  in  peril.  Despite  the  great  disparity  of 
numbers  it  must  be  a  fight  to  the  death  between  Texas 
and  Mexico.  The  Texans  were  now  gathering  at  Wash- 
ington. 

One  man  who  inspired  courage  wherever  he  went  had 
come  already.  Sam  Houston  had  ridden  into  town,  calm, 
confident  and  talking  only  of  victory.  He  was  dressed 
with  a  neatness  and  care  unusual  on  the  border,  wearing 
a  fine  black  suit,  while  his  face  was  shaded  by  the  wide 
brim  of  a  white  sombrero.  The  famous  scouts,  "Deaf" 
Smith  and  Henry  Karnes,  and  young  Zavala,  whom  Ned 
had  known  in  Mexico,  were  there  also. 

Fifty-eight  delegates  representing  Texas  gathered  in 
the  largest  room  of  a  frame  building.  "Deaf"  Smith  and 
Henry  Karnes  came  in  and  sat  with  their  rifles  across 
their  knees.  While  some  of  the  delegates  were  talking 
Houston  signaled  to  the  two,  and  they  went  outside. 

"What  do  you  hear  from  the  Alamo,  Smith?"  asked 
Houston. 

"Travis  has  fought  off  all  the  attacks  of  the  Mexicans," 
replied  the  great  borderer,  "but  when  Santa  Anna  brings 
up  his  whole  force  an'  makes  a  resolute  assault  it's  bound 
to  go  under.  The  mission  is  too  big  an'  scattered  to  be 
held  by  Travis  an'  his  men  against  forty  or  fifty  times 
their  number." 

"I  fear  so.  I  fear  so,"  said  Houston  sadly,  "and  we 
can't  get  together  enough  men  for  its  relief.  All  this 
quarreling  and  temporizing  are  our  ruin.  Heavens,  what 
a  time  for  disagreements !" 

"There  couldn't  be  a  worse  time,  general,"  said  Henry 
Karnes.  "Me  an'  'Deaf  would  like  mighty  well  to  march 
to  the  Alamo.  A  lot  of  our  friends  are  in  there  an'  I 
reckon  we've  seen  them  for  the  last  time." 

The  fine  face  of  Houston  grew  dark  with  melancholy. 


THE   NEWS   OF  THE   FALL  245 

"Have  you  been  anywhere  near  San  Antonio  ?"  he  asked 
Smith. 

"Not  nearer  than  thirty  miles,"  replied  Smith,  "but 
over  at  Goliad  I  saw  a  force  under  Colonel  Fannin  that 
Tv*as  gettin'  ready  to  start  to  the  relief  of  Travis.  With 
it  were  some  friends  of  mine.  There  was  Palmer,  him 
they  call  the  Panther,  the  biggest  and  strongest  man  in 
Texas ;  Obed  White,  a  New  Englander,  an'  a  boy,  Will 
Allen.  I've  knowed  'em  well  for  some  time,  and  there 
was  another  that  belonged  to  their  little  band.  But  he's 
in  the  Alamo  now,  an'  they  was  wild  to  rescue  him." 

"Do  you  think  Fannin  will  get  through?"  asked 
Houston. 

"I  don't,"  replied  Smith  decidedly,  "an'  if  he  did  it 
would  just  mean  the  loss  of  more  good  men  for  us.  What 
do  you  think  about  it,  Hank?" 

"The  same  that  you  do,"  replied  Karnes. 

Houston  pondered  over  their  words  a  long  time.  He 
knew  that  they  were  thoroughly  acquainted  with  Texas 
and  the  temper  of  its  people,  and  he  relied  greatly  on 
their  judgment.  When  he  went  back  in  the  room  which 
was  used  as  a  convention  hall  Smith  and  Karnes  re- 
mained outside. 

Smith  sat  down  on  the  grass,  lighted  a  pipe  and  began 
to  smoke  deliberately.  Karnes  also  sat  down  on  the 
grass,  lighted  his  own  pipe  and  smoked  with  equal  de- 
liberation. Each  man  rested  his  rifle  across  his  knees. 

"Looks  bad,"  said  Smith. 

"Powerful  bad." 

"Almighty  bad." 

"Talkin's  no  good  when  the  enemy's  shootin'." 

"Reckon  there's  nothin'  left  for  us  but  this,"  tapping 
the  barrel  of  his  rifle  significantly. 

"Only  tool  that's  left  for  us  to  use." 


246  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

"Reckon  we'll  soon  have  as  many  chances  as  we  want 
to  use  it,  an'  more." 

"Reckon  you're  Almighty  right." 

"An'  we'll  be  there  every  time." 

The  two  men  reached  over  and  shook  hands  deliber- 
ately. Houston  by  and  by  came  out  again,  and  saw  them 
sitting  there  smoking,  two  images  of  patience  and  quiet. 

"Boys,"  he  said,  "you're  not  taking  much  part  in  the 
proceedings." 

"Not  much,  just  yet,  Colonel  Sam,"  replied  Smith,  "but 
we're  waitin'.  I  reckon  that  to-morrow  you'll  declare 
Texas  free  an'  independent,  a  great  an'  good  republic. 
An'  as  there  ain't  sixty  of  you  to  declare  it,  mebbe  you'll 
need  the  help  of  some  fellows  like  Hank  an'  me  to  make 
them  resolutions  come  true." 

"We  will,"  said  Houston,  "and  we  know  that  we  can 
rely  upon  you." 

He  was  about  to  pass  on,  but  he  changed  his  mind  and 
sat  down  with  the  men.  Houston  was  a  singular  char- 
acter. He  had  been  governor  of  an  important  state,  and 
he  had  lived  as  a  savage  among  savages.  He  could  adapt 
himself  to  any  company. 

"Boys,"  he  said,  "you  know  a  merchant,  John  Roylston, 
who  has  headquarters  in  New  Orleans,  and  also  offices  in 
St.  Louis  and  Cincinnati  ?" 

"We  do,"  said  Smith,  "an*  we've  seen  him,  too, 
more  than  once.  He's  been  in  these  parts  not  so  long 
ago." 

"He's  in  New  Orleans  now,"  said  Houston.  "He's 
the  biggest  trader  along  the  coast.  Has  dealings  with 
Santa  Anna  himself,  but  he's  a  friend  of  Texas,  a  power- 
ful one.  Boys,  I've  in  my  pocket  now  an  order  from  him 
good  for  a  hundred  thousand  dollars.  It's  to  be  spent 
buying  arms  and  ammunition  for  us.  And  when  the  time 


THE   NEWS   OF   THE   FALL  247 

comes  there's  more  coming  from  the  same  place.  We've 
got  friends,  but  keep  this  to  yourselves." 

He  walked  on  and  the  two  took  a  long  and  meditative 
pull  at  their  pipes. 

"I  reckon  Roylston  may  not  shoot  as  straight  as  we 
can,"  said  Smith,  "but  mebbe  at  as  long  range  as  New 
Orleans  he  can  do  more  harm  to  the  Mexicans  than  we 
can." 

"Looks  like  it.  I  ain't  much  of  a  hand  at  money,  but 
I  like  the  looks  of  that  man  Roylston,  an'  I  reckon  the 
more  rifles  and  the  more  ammunition  we  have  the  fewer 
Mexicans  will  be  left." 

The  two  scouts,  having  smoked  as  long  as  they  wished, 
went  to  their  quarters  and  slept  soundly  through  the 
night.  But  Houston  and  the  leading  Texans  with  him 
hardly  slept  at  all.  There  was  but  one  course  to  choose, 
and  they  were  fully  aware  of  its  gravity,  Houston  per- 
haps more  so  than  the  rest,  as  he  had  seen  more  of  the 
world.  They  worked  nearly  all  night  in  the  bare  room, 
and  when  Houston  sought  his  room  he  was  exhausted. 

Houston's  room  was  a  bare  little  place,  lighted  by  a 
tallow  candle,  and  although  it  was  not  long  until  day  he 
sat  there  a  while  before  lying  down.  A  man  of  wide  ex- 
perience, he  alone,  with  the  exception  of  Roylston,  knew 
how  desperate  was  the  situation  of  the  Texans.  In  truth, 
it  was  the  money  of  Roylston  sent  from  New  Orleans  that 
had  caused  him  to  hazard  the  chance.  He  knew,  too, 
that,  in  time,  more  help  would  arrive  from  the  same 
source,  and  he  believed  there  would  be  a  chance  against 
the  Mexicans,  a  fighting  chance,  it  is  true,  but  men  who 
were  willing  to  die  for  a  cause  seldom  failed  to  win.  He 
blew  out  the  candle,  got  in  bed  and  slept  soundly. 

"Deaf"  Smith  and  Henry  Karnes  were  up  early — they 
seldom  slept  late — and  saw  the  sun  rise  out  of  the  prairie. 


248  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

They  were  in  a  house  which  had  a  small  porch,  looking 
toward  the  Brazos.  After  breakfast  they  lighted  their 
cob  pipes  again,  smoked  and  meditated. 

"Reckon  somethin'  was  done  by  our  leadin'  statesmen 
last  night,"  said  Smith. 

"Reckon  there  was,"  said  Karnes. 

"Reckon  I  can  guess  what  it  was." 

"Reckon  I  can,  too." 

"Reckon  I'll  wait  to  hear  it  offish-ul-ly  before  I  speak." 

"Reckon  I  will,  too.    Lots  of  time  wasted  talkin'." 

"Reckon  you're  right." 

They  sat  in  silence  for  a  full  two  hours.  They  smoked 
the  first  hour,  and  they  passed  the  second  in  their  chairs 
without  moving.  They  had  mastered  the  borderer's  art 
of  doing  nothing  thoroughly,  when  nothing  was  to  be 
done.  Then  a  man  came  upon  the  porch  and  spoke  to 
them.  His  name  was  Burnet,  David  G.  Burnet. 

"Good  mornin'.  How  is  the  new  republic?"  said 
"D'eaf"  Smith. 

"So  you  know,"  said  Burnet. 

"We  don't  know,  but  we've  guessed,  Hank  an'  me. 
We  saw  things  as  they  was  comin'." 

"I  reckon,  too,"  said  Karnes,  "that  we  ain't  a  part  of 
Mexico  any  more." 

"No,  we're  a  free  an'  independent  republic.  It  was  so 
decided  last  night,  and  we've  got  nothing  more  to  do  now 
but  to  whip  a  nation  of  eight  millions,  the  fifty  thousand 
of  us." 

"Well,"  said  Smith  philosophically,  "it's  a  tough  job, 
but  it  might  be  did.  I've  heard  tell  that  them  old  Greeks 
whipped  the  Persians  when  the  odds  were  powerful  high 
against  them." 

"That  is  true,"  said  Burnet,  "and  we  can  at  least  try. 
We  give  the  reason  for  declaring  our  independence.  We 


THE   NEWS   OF   THE   FALL  249 

assert  to  the  world  that  the  Mexican  republic  has  become 
a  military  despotism,  that  our  agents  carrying  petitions 
have  been  thrown  in  dungeons  in  the  City  of  Mexico,  that 
we  have  been  ordered  to  give  up  the  arms  necessary  for 
our  defence  against  the  savages,  and  that  we  have  been 
deprived  of  every  right  guaranteed  to  us  when  we  settled 
here." 

"We're  glad  it's  done,  although  we  knew  it  would  be 
done,"  said  Smith.  "We  ain't  much  on  talkin',  Mr. 
President,  Hank  an'  me,  but  we  can  shoot  pretty  straight, 
an'  we're  at  your  call." 

"I  know  that,  God  bless  you  both,"  said  Burnet.  "The 
talking  is  over.  It's  rifles  that  we  need  and  plenty  of 
them.  Now  I've  to  see  Houston.  We're  to  talk  over 
ways  and  means." 

He  hurried  away,  and  the  two,  settling  back  into  their 
chairs  on  the  porch,  relighted  their  pipes  and  smoked 
calmly. 

"Reckon  there'll  be  nothin'  doin'  for  a  day  or  two, 
Hank,"  said  Smith. 

"Reckon  not,  but  we'll  have  to  be  doin'  a  powerful  lot 
later,  or  be  hoofin'  it  for  the  tall  timber  a  thousand  miles 
north." 

"You  always  was  full  of  sense,  Hank.  Now  there  goes 
Sam  Houston.  Queer  stories  about  his  leavin'  Tennessee 
and  his  life  in  the  Indian  Territory." 

"That's  so,  but  he's  an  honest  man,  looks  far  ahead, 
an'  'tween  you  an'  me,  'Deaf,'  it's  a  thousand  to  one  that 
he's  to  lead  us  in  the  war." 

"Reckon  you're  guessin'  good." 

Houston,  who  had  just  awakened  and  dressed,  was 
walking  across  the  grass  and  weeds  to  meet  Burnet.  Not 
even  he,  when  he  looked  at  the  tiny  village  and  the  wil- 
derness spreading  about  it,  foresaw  how  mighty  a  state 


1250  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

ovas  to  rise  from  beginnings  so  humble  and  so  small.  He 
and  Burnet  went  back  into  the  convention  hall,  and  he 
wrote  a  fiery  appeal  to  the  people.  He  said  that  the 
Alamo  was  beleaguered  and  "the  citizens  of  Texas  must 
rally  to  the  aid  of  our  army  or  it  will  perish." 

Smith  and  Karnes  remained  while  the  convention  con- 
tinued its  work.  They  did  little  ostensibly  but  smoke 
their  cob  pipes,  but  they  observed  everything  and  thought 
deeply.  On  Sunday  morning,  five  days  after  the  men  had 
gathered  at  Washington,  as  they  stood  at  the  edge  of  the 
little  town  they  saw  a  man  galloping  over  the  prairie. 
Neither  spoke,  but  watched  him  for  a  while,  as  the  un- 
known came  on,  lashing  a  tired  horse. 

"  Tears  to  be  in  a  hurry,"  said  Smith. 

"An'  to  be  in  a  hurry  generally  means  somethin'  in 
these  parts,"  said  Karnes. 

"I'm  makin'  'a  guess." 

"So  am  I,  an'  yours  is  the  same  as  mine.  He  conies 
from  the  Alamo." 

Others  now  saw  the  man,  and  there  was  a  rush  toward 
him.  His  horse  fell  at  the  edge  of  the  town,  but  the  rider 
sprang  to  his  feet  and  came  toward  the  group,  which 
included  both  Houston  and  Burnet.  He  was  a  wild  fig- 
ure, face  and  clothing  covered  with  dust.  But  he  recog- 
nized Houston  and  turned  to  him  at  once. 

"You're  General  Houston,  and  I'm  from  the  Alamo," 
he  said.  "I  bring  a  message  from  Colonel  Travis." 

There  was  a  sudden  and  heavy  intake  of  breath  in  the 
whole  group. 

"Then  the  Alamo  has  not  fallen  ?"  said  Houston. 

"Not  when  I  left,  but  that  was  three  days  ago.  Here 
is  the  letter." 

It  was  the  last  letter  of  Travis,  concluding  with  the 
words :  "God  and  Texas ;  victory  or  death."  But  when 


THE   NEWS   OF   THE   FALL  251 

the  messenger  put  the  letter  into  the  hands  of  Houston 
the  Alamo  had  fallen  two  hours  before. 

The  letter  was  laid  before  the  convention,  and  the  ex- 
citement was  great  and  irrepressible.  The  feelings  of 
these  stern  men  were  moved  deeply.  Many  wished  to 
adjourn  at  once  and  march  to  the  relief  of  the  Alamo,  but 
the  eloquence  of  Houston,  who  had  been  reelected  com- 
mander-in-chief,  prevailed  against  the  suggestion.  Then, 
with  two  or  three  men,  he  departed  for  Gonzales  to  raise 
a  force,  while  the  others  elected  Burnet  President  of  the 
new  Texas,  and  departed  for  Harrisburg  on  Buffalo 
Bayou. 

"Deaf"  Smith  and  Henry  Karnes  did  not  go  just  then 
with  Houston.  They  were  scouts,  hunters  and  rough 
riders,  and  they  could  do  as  they  pleased.  They  notified 
General  Sam  Houston,  commander-in-chief  of  the  Texan 
armies,  that  they  would  come  on  later,  and  he  was  con- 
tent. 

When  the  Texan  government  and  the  Texan  army, 
numbering  combined  about  a  hundred  men,  followed  by 
most  of  the  population,  numbering  fifty  or  sixty  more, 
filed  off  for  Gonzales,  the  two  sat  once  more  on  the  same 
porch,  smoking  their  cob  pipes.  They  were  not  ordinary 
men.  They  were  not  ordinary  scouts  and  borderers. 
One  from  the  north  and  one  from  the  south,  they  were 
much  alike  in  their  mental  processes,  their  faculties  of 
keen  observation  and  deep  reasoning.  Both  were  now 
stirred  to  the  core,  but  neither  showed  a  trace  of  it  on 
his  face.  They  watched  the  little  file  pass  away  over  the 
prairie  until  it  was  lost  to  sight  behind  the  swells,  and 
then  Smith  spoke : 

"I  reckon  you  an'  me,  Hank,  will  ride  toward  the 
Alamo." 

"I  reckon  we  will,  Deaf,  and  that  right  away." 


252  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

Inside  of  five  minutes  they  were  on  the  road,  armed 
and  provisioned,  the  best  two  borderers,  with  the  single 
exception  of  the  Panther,  in  all  the  southwest.  They  were 
mounted  on  powerful  mustangs,  which,  with  proper 
handling  and  judicious  rests,  could  go  on  forever.  But 
they  pushed  them  a  little  that  afternoon,  stopped  for  two 
hours  after  sundown,  and  then  went  on  again.  They 
crossed  the  Colorado  River  in  the  night,  swimming  their 
horses,  and  about  a  mile  further  on  stopped  in  dense 
chaparral.  They  tethered  the  mustangs  near  them,  and 
spread  out  their  blankets. 

"If  anything  comes  the  horses  will  wake  us,"  said 
Smith. 

"I  reckon  they  will,"  said  Karnes. 

Both  were  fast  asleep  in  a  few  minutes,  but  they  awoke 
shortly  after  sunrise.  They  made  a  frugal  breakfast, 
while  the  mustangs  had  cropped  short  grass  in  the  night. 
Both  horses  and  men,  as  tough  and  wiry  as  they  ever  be- 
come, were  again  as  fresh  as  the  dawn,  and,  with  not 
more  than  a  dozen  words  spoken,  the  two  mounted  and 
rode  anew  on  their  quest.  Always  chary  of  speech,  they 
became  almost  silence  itself  as  they  drew  nearer  to  San 
Antonio  de  Bexar.  In  the  heart  of  each  was  a  knowledge 
of  the  great  tragedy,  not  surmise,  but  the  certainty  that 
acute  intelligence  deduces  from  facts. 

They  rode  on  until,  by  a  simultaneous  impulse,  the  two 
reined  their  horses  back  into  a  cypress  thicket  and  waited. 
They  had  seen  three  horsemen  on  the  sky  line,  coming,  in 
the  main,  in  their  direction.  Their  trained  eyes  noticed 
at  once  that  the  strangers  were  of  varying  figure.  The 
foremost,  even  at  the  distance,  seemed  to  be  gigantic,  the 
second  was  very  long  and  thin,  and  the  third  was  normal. 
Smith  and  Karnes  watched  them  a  little  while,  and  then 
Karnes  sooke  in  words  of  true  conviction. 


THE   NEWS    OF   THE   FALL  253 

"It  would  be  hard,  Deaf,  for  even  a  bad  eye  to  mistake 
the  foremost." 

"Right  you  are,  Hank.  You  might  comb  Texas  with 
a  fine-tooth  comb  an'  you'd  never  rake  out  such  another." 

"If  that  ain't  Mart  Palmer,  the  Ring  Tailed  Panther, 
I'll  go  straight  to  Santa  Anna  an'  ask  him  to  shoot  me 
as  a  fool." 

"You  won't  have  to  go  to  Santa  Anna." 

Smith  rode  from  the  covert,  put  his  curved  hand  to  his 
mouth,  and  uttered  a  long  piercing  cry.  The  three  horse- 
men stopped  at  once,  and  the  giant  in  the  lead  gave  back 
the  signal  in  the  same  fashion.  Then  the  two  little  parties 
rode  rapidly  toward  each  other.  While  they  were  yet 
fifty  yards  apart  they  uttered  words  of  hail  and  good 
fellowship,  and  when  they  met  they  shook  hands  with  the 
friendship  that  has  been  sealed  by  common  hardships  and 
dangers. 

"You're  goin'  toward  the  Alamo  ?"  said  Smith. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Panther.  "We  started  that  way  sev- 
eral days  ago,  but  we've  been  delayed.  We  had  a  brush 
with  one  little  party  of  Mexicans,  and  we  had  to  dodge 
another  that  was  too  big  for  us.  I  take  it  that  you  ride 
for  the  same  place." 

"We  do.    Were  you  with  Fannin  ?" 

The  dark  face  of  the  Panther  grew  darker. 

"We  were,"  he  replied.  "He  started  to  the  relief  of 
the  Alamo,  but  the  ammunition  wagon  broke  down,  an' 
they  couldn't  get  the  cannon  across  the  San  Antonio 
River.  So  me  an'  Obed  White  an'  Will  Allen  here  have 
come  on  alone." 

"News  for  news,"  said  Smith  dryly.  "Texas  has  just 
been  made  a  free  an'  independent  republic,  an'  Sam  Hous- 
ton has  been  made  commander-in-chief  of  all  its  mighty 
armies,  horse,  foot  an'  cannon.  We  saw  all  them  things 


254  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

done  back  there  at  Washington  settlement,  an'  we, 
bein'  a  part  of  the  army,  are  ridin'  to  the  relief  of  the 
Alamo." 

"We  j'in  you,  then,"  said  the  Panther,  "an'  Texas 
raises  two  armies  of  the  strength  of  three  an'  two  to  one 
of  five.  Oh,  if  only  all  the  Texans  had  come  what  a 
roarin'  an'  rippin'  an'  t'arin'  and  chawin'  there  would 
have  been  when  we  struck  Santa  Anna's  army,  no  matter 
how  big  it  might  be." 

"But  they  didn't  come,"  said  Smith  grimly,  "an'  as  far 
as  I  know  we  five  are  all  the  Texans  that  are  ridin'  to- 
ward San  Antonio  de  Bexar  an'  the  Alamo." 

"But  bein'  only  five  won't  keep  us  from  ridin'  on," 
said  the  Panther. 

"And  things  are  not  always  as  bad  as  they  look,"  said 
Obed  White,  after  he  had  heard  of  the  messenger  who 
had  come  to  Houston  and  Burnet.  "It's  never  too  late 
to  hope." 

The  five  rode  fast  the  remainder  of  the  day.  They 
passed  through  a  silent  and  desolate  land.  They  saw  a 
few  cabins,  but  every  one  was  abandoned.  The  deep 
sense  of  tragedy  was  over  them  all,  even  over  young 
Will  Allen.  They  rarely  spoke,  and  they  rode  along  in 
silence,  save  for  the  beat  of  their  horses'  hoofs.  Shortly 
before  night  they  met  a  lone  buffalo  hunter  whom  the 
Panther  knew. 

"Have  you  been  close  to  San  Antonio,  Simpson?" 
asked  the  Panther,  after  the  greeting. 

"I've  been  three  or  four  days  hangin'  'roun'  the  neigh- 
borhood," replied  the  hunter.  "I  came  down  from  the 
northwest  when  I  heard  that  Santa  Anna  was  advancin', 
an'  once  I  thought  I'd  make  a  break  an'  try  to  get  into  the 
Alamo,  but  the  Mexican  lines  was  drawed  too  thick  an' 
close." 


THE   NEWS   OF   THE   FALL  255 

"Have  you  heard  anything  about  the  men  inside?" 
asked  the  Panther  eagerly. 

"Not  a  thing.  But  I've  noticed  this.  A  mornin'  an' 
evenin'  gun  was  fired  from  the  fortress  every  day  until 
yesterday,  Sunday,  an'  since  then — nothin'." 

The  silence  in  the  little  band  was  as  ominous  as  the 
silence  of  the  morning  and  evening  gun.  Simpson  shook 
his  head  sadly. 

"Boys,"  he  said,  "I'm  goin'  to  ride  for  Gonzales  an' 
join  Houston.  I  don't  think  it's  any  use  for  me  to  be 
hangin'  aroun'  San  Antonio  de  Bexar  any  longer.  I 
wish  you  luck  in  whatever  you're  tryin'  to  do." 

He  rode  away,  but  the  five  friends  continued  their 
course  toward  the  Alamo,  without  hope  now,  but  re- 
solved to  see  for  themselves.  Deep  in  the  night,  which 
fortunately  for  their  purpose  was  dark,  heavy  clouds 
shutting  out  the  moon  and  stars,  they  approached  San 
Antonio  from  the  east.  They  saw  lights,  which  they 
knew  were  those  of  the  town,  but  there  was  darkness 
only  where  they  knew  the  Alamo  stood. 

They  tethered  their  horses  in  some  bushes  and  crept 
closer,  until  they  could  see  the  dim  bulk  of  the  Alamo. 
No  light  shone  there.  They  listened  long  and  intently, 
but  not  a  single  sound  came  from  the  great  hecatomb. 
Again  they  crept  nearer.  There  were  no  Mexican  guards 
anywhere.  A  little  further  and  they  stood  by  the  low 
northern  wall. 

"Boys,"  said  the  Panther,  "I  can't  stand  it  any  longer. 
Queer  feelin's  are  runnin'  all  over  me.  No,  I'm  goin'  to 
take  the  risk,  if  there  is  any,  all  alone.  You  wait  for  me 
here,  an'  if  I  don't  come  back  in  an  hour  then  you  can 
hunt  for  me." 

The  Panther  climbed  over  the  wall  and  disappeared 
The  others  remained  in  the  deepest  shadow  waiting  and 


256  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

silent.  They  were  oppressed  by  the  heavy  gloom  that 
hung  over  the  Alamo.  It  was  terrifying  to  young  Will 
Allen,  not  the  terror  that  is  caused  by  the  fear  of  men, 
but  the  terror  that  comes  from  some  tragic  mystery  that 
is  more  than  half  guessed. 

Nearly  an  hour  passed,  when  a  great  figure  leaped 
lightly  from  the  wall  and  joined  them.  The  swarthy  face 
of  the  Panther  was  as  white  as  chalk,  and  he  was  shiv- 
ering. 

"Boys,"  he  whispered,  "I've  seen  what  I  never  want  to 
see  ag'in.  I've  seen  red,  red  everywhere.  I've  been 
through  the  rooms  of  the  Alamo,  an'  they're  red,  splashed 
with  the  red  blood  of  men.  The  water  in  the  ditch  was 
stained  with  red,  an'  the  earth  all  about  was  soaked  with 
it.  Somethin'  awful  must  have  happened  in  the  Alamo. 
There  must  have  been  a  terrible  fight,  an'  I'm  thinkln'  that 
most  of  our  fellows  must  have  died  before  it  was  took. 
But  it's  give  me  the  creeps,  boys,  an'  I  think  we'd  better 
get  away." 

"We  can't  leave  any  too  quick  to  please  me,"  said  Will 
Allen.  "I'm  seeing  ghosts  all  the  time." 

"Now  that  we  know  for  sure  the  Alamo  has  fallen," 
said  Smith,  "nothin'  is  to  be  gained  by  stayin'  here.  It's 
for  Sam  Houston  to  lead  us  to  revenge,  and  the  more 
men  he  has  the  better.  I  vote  we  ride  for  Gonzales." 

"Seein'  what  we  can  see  as  we  go,"  said  Karnes.  "The 
more  information  we  can  pick  up  on  the  way  about  the 
march  of  the  Mexicans  the  better  it  will  be  for  Houston." 

"No  doubt  of  that,"  said  the  Panther.  "When  we  go 
to  roarin'  an'  rippin'  an'  t'arin'  we  must  know  what  we're 
about.  But  come  on,  boys,  all  that  red  in  the  Alamo  gives 
me  conniption  fits." 

They  rode  toward  the  east  for  a  long  time  until  they 
thought  they  were  beyond  the  reach  of  Mexican  skirmish- 


THE   NEWS   OF   THE   FALL  257 

ing  parties,  and  then  they  slept  in  a  cypress  thicket,  Smith 
and  Karnes  standing  guard  by  turns.  As  everybody 
needed  rest  they  did  not  resume  their  journey  the  next 
day  until  nearly  noon,  and  they  spent  most  of  the  after- 
noon watching  for  Mexican  scouts,  although  they  saw 
none.  They  had  a  full  rest  that  night  and  the  next  day 
they  rode  slowly  toward  Gonzales. 

About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  as  they  reached 
the  crest  of  a  swell,  Will  Allen  uttered  an  exclamation, 
and  pointed  toward  the  eastern  horizon.  There  they  saw 
a  single  figure  on  horseback,  and  another  walking  beside 
it.  The  afternoon  sun  was  very  bright,  casting  a  glow 
over  the  distant  figures,  and,  shading  their  eyes  with 
their  hands,  they  gazed  at  them  a  long  time. 

"It's  a  woman  that's  ridin',"  said  Smith  at  last,  "an' 
she's  carryin'  some  sort  of  a  bundle  before  her." 

"You're  shorely  right,  Deaf,"  said  Karnes,  "an'  I  think 
the  one  walkin'  is  a  black  fellow.  Looks  like  it  from 
here." 

"I'm  your  way  of  thinkin',"  said  th'e  Panther,  "an'  the 
woman  on  the  horse  is  American,  or  I'm  mightily  fooled 
in  my  guess.  S'pose  we  ride  ahead  faster  an'  see  for 
shore." 

They  increased  the  speed  of  their  mustangs  to  a  gallop 
and  rapidly  overhauled  the  little  party.  They  saw  the 
woman  trying  to  urge  her  horse  to  greater  speed.  But 
the  poor  beast,  evidently  exhausted,  made  no  response. 
The  woman,  turning  in  the  saddle,  looked  back  at  her 
pursuers. 

"By  all  that's  wonderful!"  exclaimed  Obed  White, 
"the  bundle  that  she's  carrying  is  a  baby !" 

"It's  so,"  said  Smith,  "an'  you  can  see  well  enough 
now  that  she's  one  of  our  own  people.  We  must  show 
her  that  she's  got  nothin'  to  fear  from  us." 


258  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

He  shouted  through  his  arched  hands  in  tremendous 
tones  that  they  were  Texans  and  friends.  The  woman 
stopped,  and  as  they  galloped  up  she  would  have  fallen 
from  her  horse  had  not  Obed  White  promptly  seized  her 
and,  dismounting,  lifted  her  and  the  baby  tenderly  to  the 
ground.  The  colored  boy  who  had  been  walking  stood 
by  and  did  not  say  anything  aloud,  but  muttered  rapidly : 
"Thank  the  Lord !  Thank  the  Lord !" 

Three  of  the  five  were  veteran  hunters,  but  they  had 
never  before  found  such  a  singular  party  on  the  prairie. 
The  woman  sat  down  on  the  ground,  still  holding  the 
baby  tightly  in  her  arms,  and  shivered  all  over.  The 
Texans  regarded  her  in  pitying  silence  for  a  few  min- 
utes, and  then  Obed  White  said  in  gentle  tones : 

"We  are  friends,  ready  to  take  you  to  safety.  Tell  us 
who  you  are." 

"I  am  Mrs.  Dickinson,"  she  replied. 

"Deaf"  Smith  looked  startled. 

"There  was  a  Lieutenant  Dickinson  in  the  Alamo,"  he 
said. 

"I  am  his  wife,"  she  replied,  "and  this  is  our  child." 

"And  where  is "  Smith  stopped  suddenly,  knowing 

what  the  answer  must  be. 

"He  is  dead,"  she  replied.  "He  fell  in  the  defence  of 
the  Alamo." 

"Might  he  not  be  among  the  prisoners?"  suggested 
Obed  White  gently. 

"Prisoners!"  she  replied.  "There  were  no  prisoners. 
They  fought  to  the  last.  Every  man  who  was  in  the 
Alamo  died  in  its  defence." 

The  five  stared  at  her  in  amazement,  and  for  a  little 
while  none  spoke. 

"Do  you  mean  to  say,"  asked  Obed  White,  "that  none 
of  the  Texans  survived  the  fall  of  the  Alamo?" 


THE   NEWS   OF   THE   FALL  259 

"None,"  she  replied. 

"How  do  you  know  ?" 

Her  pale  face  filled  with  color.  It  seemed  that  she, 
too,  at  that  moment  felt  some  of  the  glow  that  the  fall 
of  the  Alamo  was  to  suffuse  through  Texas. 

"Because  I  saw,"  she  replied.  "I  was  in  one  of  the 
arched  rooms  of  the  church,  where  they  made  the  last 
stand.  I  saw  Crockett  fall  and  I  saw  the  death  of  Bowie, 
too.  I  saw  Santa  Anna  exult,  but  many,  many  Mexicans 
fell  also.  It  was  a  terrible  struggle.  I  shall  see  it  again 
every  day  of  my  life,  even  if  I  live  to  be  a  hundred." 

She  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  as  if  she  would 
cut  out  the  sight  of  that  last  inferno  in  the  church.  The 
others  were  silent,  stunned  for  the  time. 

"All  gone,"  said  Obed  White,  at  last.  "When  the 
news  is  spread  that  every  man  stood  firm  to  the  last  I 
think  it  will  light  such  a  fire  in  Texas  that  Santa  Anna 
and  all  his  armies  cannot  put  it  out." 

"Did  you  see  a  boy  called  Ned  Fulton  in  the  Alamo, 
a  tall,  handsome  fellow  with  brown  hair  and  gray  eyes?" 
asked  Obed  White. 

"Often,"  replied  Mrs.  Dickinson.  "He  was  with  Crock- 
ett and  Bowie  a  great  deal." 

"And  none  escaped  ?"  said  Will  Allen. 

"Not  one,"  she  repeated.  "I  did  not  see  him  in  the 
church  in  the  final  assault.  He  doubtless  fell  in  the 
hospital  or  in  the  convent  yard.  Ah,  he  was  a  friend  of 
yours  !  I  am  sorry." 

"Yes,  he  was  a  friend  of  ours,"  said  the  Panther.  "He 
was  more  than  that  to  me.  I  loved  that  boy  like  a  son, 
an'  me  an'  my  comrades  here  mean  to  see  that  the  Mexi- 
cans pay  a  high  price  for  his  death.  An'  may  I  ask, 
ma'am,  how  you  come  to  be  here  ?" 

She  told  him  how  Santa  Anna  had  provided  her  with 


260  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

the  horse,  and  had  sent  her  alone  with  the  proclamation 
to  the  Texans.  At  the  Salado  Creek  she  had  come  upon 
the  negro  servant  of  Travis,  who  had  escaped  from  San 
Antonio,  and  he  was  helping  her  on  the  way. 

"An'  now,  ma'am,"  said  "Deaf"  Smith,  "we'll  guard 
you  the  rest  of  the  way  to  Gonzales." 

The  two  little  groups,  now  fused  into  one,  resumed 
their  journey  over  the  prairie. 


CHAPTER  XV 
IN  ANOTHER  TRAP 

WHEN  Ned  Fulton  scaled  the  lowest  wall  of  the 
Alamo  and  dropped  into  the  darkness  he  ran 
for  a  long  time.  He  scarcely  knew  in  what 
direction  he  was  going,  but  he  was  anxious  to  get  away 
from  that  terrible  town  of  San  Antonio  de  Bexar.  He 
was  filled  with  grief  for  his  friends  and  anger  against 
Santa  Anna  and  his  people.  He  had  passed  through  an 
event  so  tremendous  in  its  nature,  so  intense  and  fiery  in 
its  results,  that  his  whole  character  underwent  a  sudden 
change.  But  a  boy  in  years,  the  man  nevertheless  re- 
placed the  boy  in  his  mind.  He  had  looked  upon  the  face 
of  awful  things,  so  awful  that  few  men  could  bear  to 
behold  them. 

There  was  a  certain  hardening  of  his  nature  now.  As 
he  ran,  and  while  the  feeling  of  horror  was  still  upon 
him,  the  thought  of  vengeance  swelled  into  a  passion. 
The  Texans  must  strike  back  for  what  had  been  done  in 
the  Alamo.  Surely  all  would  come  when  they  heard  the 
news  that  he  was  bringing. 

He  believed  that  the  Texans,  and  they  must  be  as- 
sembled in  force  somewhere,  would  be  toward  the  east 
or  the  southeast,  at  Harrisburg  or  Goliad  or  some  other 
place.  He  would  join  them  as  soon  as  he  could,  and  he 
slackened  his  pace  to  a  walk.  He  was  too  good  a  bor- 
derer now  to  exhaust  himself  in  the  beginning. 

He  was  overpowered  after  a  while  by  an  immense 
261 


262  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

lethargy.  A  great  collapse,  both  physical  and  mental, 
came  after  so  much  exhaustion.  He  felt  that  he  must 
rest  or  die.  The  night  was  mild,  as  the  spring  was  now 
well  advanced  in  Texas,  and  he  sought  a  dense  thicket 
in  which  he  might  lie  for  a  while.  But  there  was  no 
scrub  or  chaparral  within  easy  reach,  and  his  feeling  of 
lassitude  became  so  great  that  he  stopped  when  he  came 
to  a  huge  oak  and  lay  down  under  the  branches,  which 
spread  far  and  low. 

He  judged  that  he  was  about  six  miles  from  San  An- 
tonio, a  reasonably  safe  distance  for  the  night,  and,  re- 
laxing completely,  he  fell  asleep.  Then  nature  began  her 
great  work.  The  pulses  which  were  beating  so  fast  and 
hard  in  the  boy's  body  grew  slower  and  more  regular, 
and  at  last  became  normal.  The  blood  flowed  in  a  fresh 
and  strong  current  through  his  veins.  The  great  phy- 
sician, minute  by  minute,  was  building  up  his  system 
again. 

Ned's  collapse  had  been  so  complete  that  he  did  not 
stir  for  hours.  The  day  came  and  the  sun  rose  brilliant 
in  red  and  gold.  The  boy  did  not  stir,  but  not  far  away 
a  large  animal  moved.  Ned's  tree  was  at  the  edge  of  a 
little  grassy  plain,  and  upon  this  the  animal  stood,  with 
a  head  held  high  and  upturned  nose  sniffing  the  breeze 
that  came  from  the  direction  of  the  sleeper. 

It  was  in  truth  a  great  animal,  one  with  tremendous 
teeth,  and  after  hesitating  a  while  it  walked  toward  the 
tree  under  which  the  boy  lay.  Here  it  paused  and  again 
sniffed  the  air,  which  was  now  strong  with  the  human 
odor.  It  remained  there  a  while,  staring  with  great  eyes 
at  the  sleeping  form,  and  then  went  back  to  the  grassy 
little  meadow.  It  revisited  the  boy  at  intervals,  but  never 
disturbed  him,  and  Ned  slept  peacefully  on. 

It  was  nearly  noon  when  Ned  awoke,  and  he  might 


IN   ANOTHER   TRAP  263 

not  have  awakened  then  had  not  the  sun  from  its  new 
position  sent  a  shaft  of  light  directly  into  his  eyes.  He 
saw  that  his  precious  rifle  was  still  lying  by  his  side,  and 
then  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  startled  to  find  by  the  sun  that 
it  was  so  late.  He  heard  a  loud  joyous  neigh,  and  a  great 
bay  horse  trotted  toward  him. 

It  was  Old  Jack,  the  faithful  dumb  brute,  of  which  he 
had  thought  so  rarely  during  all  those  tense  days  in  the 
Alamo.  The  Mexicans  had  not  taken  him.  He  was 
here,  and  happy  chance  had  brought  him  and  his  master 
together  again.  It  was  so  keen  a  joy  to  see  a  friend 
again,  even  an  animal,  that  Ned  put  his  arm  around  Old 
Jack's  neck,  and  for  the  first  time  tears  came  to  his 
eyes. 

"Good  Old  Jack !"  he  said,  patting  his  horse's  nose. 
"You  must  have  been  waiting  here  all  the  time  for  me. 
And  you  must  have  fared  well,  too.  I  never  before  saw 
you  looking  so  fat  and  saucy." 

The  finding  of  the  horse  simplified  Ned's  problem 
somewhat.  He  had  neither  saddle  nor  bridle,  but  Old 
Jack  always  obeyed  him  beautifully.  He  believed  that 
if  it  came  to  the  pinch,  and  it  became  necessary  for  him 
to  ride  for  his  life,  he  could  guide  him  in  the  Indian 
fashion  with  the  pressure  of  the  knees. 

He  made  a  sort  of  halter  of  withes  which  he  fastened 
on  Old  Jack's  head,  and  then  he  sprang  upon  his  bare 
back,  feeling  equal  to  almost  anything.  He  rode  west 
by  south  now,  his  course  taking  him  toward  Goliad,  and 
he  went  on  at  a  good  gait  until  twilight.  A  little  later 
he  made  out  the  shapes  of  wild  turkeys,  then  very  nu- 
merous in  Texas  among  the  boughs  of  the  trees,  and  he 
brought  a  fine  fat  one  down  at  the  first  shot.  After  some 
difficulty  he  lighted  a  fire  with  the  flint  and  steel,  which 
the  Mexicans  fortunately  had  not  taken  from  him,  toasted 


264  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

great  strips  over  the  coals,  and  ate  hungrily  of  juicy  and 
tender  wild  turkey. 

He  was  all  the  time  aware  that  his  fire  might  bring 
danger  down  upon  him,  but  he  was  willing  to  chance  it. 
After  he  had  eaten  enough  he  took  the  remainder  of  his 
turkey  and  rode  on.  It  was  a  clear,  starry  night  and,  as 
he  had  been  awake  only  since  noon,  he  continued  until 
about  ten  o'clock,  when  he  again  took  the  turf  under  a 
tree  for  a  couch.  He  slipped  the  rude  halter  from  Old 
Jack,  patted  him  on  the  head  and  said : 

"Old  Jack,  after  the  lofty  way  in  which  you  have  be- 
haved I  wouldn't  disgrace  you  by  tying  you  up  for  the 
night.  Moreover,  I  know  that  you're  the  best  guard  I 
could  possibly  have,  and  so,  trusting  you  implicitly,  I 
shall  go  to  sleep." 

His  confidence  was  justified,  and  the  next  morning  they 
were  away  again  over  the  prairie.  Ned  was  sure  that  he 
would  meet  roving  Texans  or  Mexicans  before  noon, 
but  he  saw  neither.  He  surmised  that  the  news  of  Santa 
Anna's  great  force  had  sent  all  the  Texans  eastward,  but 
the  loneliness  and  desolation  nevertheless  weighed  upon 
him. 

He  crossed  several  streams,  all  of  them  swollen  and 
deep  from  spring  rains,  and  every  time  he  came  to  one 
he  returned  thanks  again  because  he  had  found  Old 
Jack.  The  great  horse  always  took  the  flood  without 
hesitation,  and  would  come  promptly  to  the  other  bank. 

He  saw  many  deer,  and  started  up  several  flights  of 
wild  turkeys,  but  he  did  not  disturb  them.  He  was  a 
soldier  now,  not  a  hunter,  and  he  sought  men,  not  ani- 
mals. Another  night  came  and  found  him  still  alone  on 
the  prairie.  As  before,  he  -lept  undisturbed  under  the 
boughs  of  a  tree,  and  he  awoke  the  next  morning  thor- 
oughly sound  in  body  and  much  refreshed  in  mind.  But 


IN   ANOTHER  TRAP  265 

the  feeling  of  hardness,  the  desire  for  revenge,  remained. 
He  was  continually  seeing  the  merciless  face  of  Santa 
Anna  and  the  sanguinary  interior  of  the  Alamo.  The 
imaginative  quality  of  his  mind  and  his  sensitiveness  to 
cruelty  had  heightened  the  effect  produced  upon  him. 

He  continued  to  ride  through  desolate  country  for 
several  days,  living  on  the  game  that  his  rifle  brought. 
He  slept  one  night  in  an  abandoned  cabin,  with  Old  Jack 
resting  in  the  grass  that  was  now  growing  rankly  at  the 
door.  He  came  the  next  day  to  a  great  trail,  so  great  in 
truth  that  he  believed  it  to  have  been  made  by  Mexicans. 
He  did  not  believe  that  there  was  anywhere  a  Texan  force 
sufficient  to  tread  out  so  broad  a  road. 

He  noticed,  too,  that  the  hoofs  of  the  horses  were 
turned  in  the  general  direction  of  Goliad  or  Victoria, 
nearer  the  sea,  and  he  concluded  that  this  was  another 
strong  Mexican  army  intended  to  complete  the  ruin  of 
infant  Texas.  He  decided  to  follow,  and  near  nightfall 
he  saw  the  camp  fires  of  a  numerous  force.  He  rode  as 
near  as  he  dared  and  reckoned  that  there  were  twelve 
or  fifteen  hundred  men  in  the  camp.  He  was  sure  that 
it  was  no  part  of  the  army  with  which  Santa  Anna  had 
taken  the  Alamo. 

Ned  rode  a  wide  circuit  around  the  camp  and  con- 
tinued his  ride  in  the  night.  He  was  forced  to  rest  and 
sleep  a  while  toward  morning,  but  shortly  after  daylight 
he  went  forward  again  to  warn  he  knew  not  whom.  Two 
or  three  hours  later  he  saw  two  horsemen  on  the  horizon, 
and  he  rode  toward  them.  He  knew  that  if  they  should 
prove  to  be  Mexicans  Old  Jack  was  swift  enough  to 
carry  him  out  of  reach.  But  he  soon  saw  that  they  were 
Texans,  and  he  hailed  them. 

The  two  men  stopped  and  watched  him  as  he  ap- 
proached. The  fact  that  he  rode  a  horse  without  saddle 


266  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

or  bridle  was  sufficient  to  attract  their  attention,  and  they 
saw,  too,  that  he  was  wild  in  appearance,  with  long,  un- 
combed hair  and  torn  clothing.  They  were  hunters  who 
had  come  out  from  the  little  town  of  Refugio. 

Ned  hailed  them  again  when  he  came  closer. 

"You  are  Texans  and  friends?"  he  said. 

"Yes,  we  are  Texans  and  friends,"  replied  the  older  of 
the  two  men.  "Who  are  you  ?" 

"My  name  is  Fulton,  Edward  Fulton,  and  I  come  from 
the  Alamo." 

"The  Alamo?  How  could  that  be?  How  could  you 
get  out?" 

"I  was  sent  out  on  an  errand  by  Colonel  Crockett,  a 
fictitious  errand  for  the  purpose  of  saving  me,  I  now  be- 
lieve. But  I  fell  at  once  into  the  hands  of  Santa  Anna. 
The  next  morning  the  Alamo  was  taken  by  storm,  but 
every  Texan  in  it  died  in  its  defence.  I  saw  it  done." 

Then  he  told  to  them  the  same  tale  that  Mrs.  Dickinson 
had  told  to  the  Panther  and  his  little  party,  adding  also 
that  a  large  Mexican  force  was  undoubtedly  very  near. 

"Then  you've  come  just  in  time,"  said  the  older  man. 
"We've  heard  that  a  big  force  under  General  Urrea  was 
heading  for  the  settlements  near  the  coast,  and  Captain 
King  and  twenty-five  or  thirty  men  are  now  at  Refugio 
to  take  the  people  away.  We'll  hurry  there  with  your 
news  and  we'll  try  to  get  you  a  saddle  and  bridle,  too." 

"For  which  I'll  be  thankful,"  said  Ned. 

But  he  was  really  more  thankful  for  human  companion- 
ship than  anything  else.  He  tingled  with  joy  to  be  with 
the  Texans  again,  and  during  the  hours  that  they  were 
riding  to  Refugio  he  willingly  answered  the  ceaseless 
questions  of  the  two  men,  Oldham  and  Jackson,  who 
wanted  to  know  everything  that  had  happened  at  the 
Alamo.  When  they  reached  Refugio  they  found  there 


IN   ANOTHER   TRAP  267 

Captain  King  with  less  than  thirty  men  who  had  been 
sent  by  Fannin,  as  Jackson  had  said,  to  bring  away  the 
people. 

Ned  was  taken  at  once  to  King,  who  had  gathered  his 
men  in  the  little  plaza.  He  saw  that  the  soldiers  were 
not  Texans,  that  is,  men  who  had  long  lived  in  Texas, 
but  fresh  recruits  from  the  United  States,  wholly  un- 
familiar with  border  ways  and  border  methods  of  fight- 
ing. The  town  itself  was  an  old  Mexican  settlement  with 
an  ancient  stone  church  or  mission,  after  the  fashion  of 
the  Alamo,  only  smaller. 

"You  say  that  you  were  in  the  Alamo,  and  that  all  the 
defenders  have  fallen  except  you?"  said  the  Captain, 
looking  curiously  at  Ned. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  boy. 

"And  that  the  Mexican  force  dispatched  against  the 
Eastern  settlements  is  much  nearer  than  was  supposed?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Ned,  "and  as  proof  of  my  words  there 
it  is  now." 

He  had  suddenly  caught  the  gleam  of  lances  in  a  wood 
a  little  distance  to  the  west  of  the  town,  and  he  knew 
that  the  Mexican  cavalry,  riding  ahead  of  the  main  army, 
was  at  hand.  It  was  a  large  force,  too,  one  with  which 
the  little  band  of  recruits  could  not  possibly  cope  in  the 
open.  Captain  King  seemed  dazed,  but  Ned,  glancing  at 
the  church,  remembered  the  Alamo.  Every  Spanish 
church  or  mission  was  more  or  less  of  a  fortress,  and  he 
exclaimed : 

"The  church,  Captain,  the  church!  We  can  hold  it 
against  the  cavalry !" 

"Good!"  cried  the  Captain.    "An  excellent  idea!" 

They  rushed  for  the  church  and  Ned  followed.  Old 
Jack  did  not  get  the  saddle  and  bridle  that  had  been 
promised  to  him.  When  the  boy  leaped  from  his  back  he 


268  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

snatched  off  the  halter  of  withes  and  shouted  loudly  to 
him :  "Go !" 

It  pained  him  to  abandon  his  horse  a  second  time  under 
compulsion,  but  there  was  no  choice.  Old  Jack  galloped 
away  as  if  he  knew  what  he  ought  to  do,  and  then  Ned, 
running  into  the  church  with  the  others,  helped  them  to 
bar  the  doors. 

The  church  was  a  solid  building  of  stone  with  a  flat 
roof,  and  with  many  loopholes  made  long  ago  as  a  de- 
fence against  the  Indians.  Ned  heard  the  cavalry  thun- 
dering into  the  village  as  they  barred  the  doors,  and  then 
he  and  half  a  dozen  men  ran  to  the  roof.  Lying  down 
there,  they  took  aim  at  the  charging  horsemen. 

These  were  raw  recruits,  but  they  knew  how  to  shoot. 
Their  rifles  flashed  and  four  or  five  saddles  were  emptied. 
The  men  below  were  also  firing  from  the  loopholes,  and 
the  front  rank  of  the  Mexican  cavalry  was  cut  down  by 
the  bullets.  The  whole  force  turned  at  a  shout  from  an 
officer,  and  galloped  to  the  shelter  of  some  buildings. 
Ned  estimated  that  they  were  two  hundred  in  number, 
and  he  surmised  that  young  Urrea  led  them. 

He  descended  from  the  roof  and  talked  with  King. 
The  men  understood  their  situation,  but  they  were  ex- 
ultant. They  had  beaten  off  the  enemy's  cavalry,  and 
they  felt  that  the  final  victory  must  be  theirs.  But  Ned 
had  been  in  the  Alamo,  and  he  knew  that  the  horsemen 
had  merely  hoped  to  surprise  and  overtake  them  with  a 
dash.  Stone  fortresses  are  not  taken  by  cavalry.  He 
was  sure  that  the  present  force  would  remain  under 
cover  until  the  main  army  came  up  with  cannon.  He 
suggested  to  Captain  King  that  he  send  a  messenger  to 
Fannin  for  help. 

King  thought  wisely  of  the  suggestion  and  chose  Jack- 
son, who  slipped  out  of  the  church,  escaped  through  an 


IN   ANOTHER  TRAP  269 

oak  forest  and  disappeared.  Ned  then  made  a  careful 
examination  of  the  church,  which  was  quite  a  strong 
building  with  a  supply  of  water  inside  and  some  dried 
corn.  The  men  had  brought  rations  also  with  them,  and 
they  were  amply  supplied  for  a  siege  of  several  days. 
But  Ned,  already  become  an  expert  in  this  kind  of  war, 
judged  that  it  would  not  last  so  long.  He  believed  that 
the  Mexicans,  flushed  by  the  taking  of  the  Alamo,  would 
push  matters. 

King,  lacking  experience,  leaned  greatly  on  young 
Fulton.  The  men,  who  believed  implicitly  every  word 
that  he  had  said,  regarded  him  almost  with  superstition. 
He  alone  of  the  defenders  had  come  alive  out  of  that  ter- 
rible charnel  house,  the  Alamo. 

"I  suspect,"  said  King,  "that  the  division  you  saw  is 
under  General  Urrea." 

"Very  probably,"  said  Ned.  "Of  course,  Santa 
Anna,  no  longer  having  any  use  for  his  army  in 
San  Antonio,  can  send  large  numbers  of  troops  east- 
ward." 

''Which  means  that  we'll  have  a  hard  time  defending 
this  place,"  said  King  gloomily. 

"Unless  Fannin  sends  a  big  force  to  our  help." 

"I'm  not  so  sure  that  he'll  send  enough,"  said  King. 
"His  men  are  nearly  all  fresh  from  the  States,  and  they 
know  nothing  of  the  country.  It's  hard  for  him  to  tell 
what  to  do.  We  started  once  to  the  relief  of  the  Alamo, 
but  our  ammunition  wagon  broke  down  and  we  could  not 
get  our  cannon  across  the  San  Antonio  River.  Things 
don't  seem  to  be  going  right  with  us." 

Ned  was  silent.  His  thoughts  turned  back  to  the 
Alamo.  And  so  Fannin  and  his  men  had  started  but  had 
never  come!  Truly  "things  were  going  wrong!"  But 
perhaps  it  was  just  as  well.  The  victims  would  have 


270  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

only  been  more  numerous,  and  Fannin's  men  were  saved 
to  fight  elsewhere  for  Texas. 

He  heard  a  rattle  of  musketry,  and  through  one  of  the 
loopholes  he  saw  that  the  Mexican  cavalry  in  the  wood 
had  opened  a  distant  fire.  Only  a  few  of  the  bullets 
reached  the  church,  and  they  fell  spent  against  the  stones. 
Ned  saw  that  very  little  harm  was  likely  to  come  from 
such  a  fire,  but  he  believed  it  would  be  wise  to  show  the 
Mexicans  that  the  defenders  were  fully  awake. 

"Have  you  any  specially  good  riflemen?"  he  asked 
King. 

"Several." 

"Suppose  you  put  them  at  the  loopholes  and  see  if  they 
can't  pick  off  some  of  those  Mexican  horsemen.  It  would 
have  a  most  healthy  effect." 

Six  young  men  came  forward,  took  aim  with  their  long 
barreled  rifles,  and  at  King's  command  fired.  Three  of 
the  saddles  were  emptied,  and  there  was  a  rapid  move- 
ment of  the  Mexicans,  who  withdrew  further  into  the 
wood.  The  defenders  reloaded  and  waited. 

Ned  knew  better  than  Captain  King  or  any  of  his  men 
the  extremely  dangerous  nature  of  their  position.  Since 
the  vanguard  was  already  here  the  Mexican  army  must 
be  coming  on  rapidly,  and  this  was  no  Alamo.  Nor  were 
these  raw  recruits  defenders  of  an  Alamo. 

He  saw  presently  a  man,  holding  a  white  handkerchief 
on  the  end  of  a  lance,  ride  out  from  the  wood.  Ned  recog- 
nized him  at  once.  It  was  young  Urrea.  As  Ned  had 
suspected,  he  was  the  leader  of  the  cavalry  for  his  uncle, 
the  general. 

"What  do  you  think  he  wants?"  asked  King. 

"He  will  demand  our  surrender,  but  even  if  we  were 
to  yield  it  is  likely  that  we  should  be  put  to  death  after- 
ward." 


IN   ANOTHER   TRAP  271 

"I  have  no  idea  of  surrendering  under  any  circum- 
stances. Do  you  speak  Spanish  ?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  Ned,  seizing  the  opportunity. 

"Then,  as  I  can't,  you  do  the  talking  for  us,  and  tell  it 
to  him  straight  and  hard  that  we're  going  to  fight." 

Ned  climbed  upon  the  roof,  and  sat  with  only  his  head 
showing  above  the  parapet,  while  Urrea  rode  slowly  for- 
ward, carrying  the  lance  and  the  white  flag  jauntily. 
Ned  could  not  keep  from  admiring  his  courage,  as  the 
white  flag,  even,  in  such  a  war  as  this  might  prove  no 
protection.  He  stopped  at  a  distance  of  about  thirty 
yards  and  called  loudly  in  Spanish: 

"Within  the  church  there !    I  wish  to  speak  to  you !" 

Ned  stood  up,  his  entire  figure  now  being  revealed, 
and  replied : 

"I  have  been  appointed  spokesman  for  our  company. 
What  do  you  want?" 

Urrea  started  slightly  in  his  saddle,  and  then  regarded 
Ned  with  a  look  of  mingled  irony  and  hatred. 

"And  so,"  he  said,  "our  paths  cross  again.  You  es- 
caped us  at  the  Alamo.  Why  General  Santa  Anna  spared 
you  then  I  do  not  know,  but  he  is  not  here  to  give  new 
orders  concerning  you !" 

"What  do  you  want  ?"  repeated  Ned. 

"We  want  the  church,  yourself  and  all  the  other  ban- 
dits who  are  within  it." 

Ned's  face  flushed  at  Urrea's  contemptuous  words  and 
manner,  and  his  heart  hardened  into  a  yet  deeper  hatred 
of  the  Mexicans.  But  he  controlled  his  voice  and  replied 
evenly. 

"And  if  we  should  surrender,  what  then?" 

"The  mercy  of  the  illustrious  General  Santa  Anna, 
whatever  it  may  be." 

"I  saw  his  mercy  at  the  Alamo,"  replied  Ned,  "and  we 


272  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

want  none  of  it.  Nor  would  we  surrender,  even  if  we 
could  trust  your  most  illustrious  General  Santa  Anna." 

"Then  take  your  fate,"  said  Urrea.  "Since  you  were 
at  the  Alamo  you  know  what  befell  the  defenders  there, 
and  this  place,  mostly  in  ruins,  is  not  nearly  so  strong. 
Adios !" 

"Adios!"  said  Ned,  speaking  in  a  firm  tone.  But  he 
felt  that  there  was  truth  in  Urrea's  words.  Little  was 
left  of  the  mission  but  its  strong  walls.  Nevertheless, 
they  might  hold  them. 

"What  did  he  say?"  asked  King. 

"He  demanded  our  surrender." 

"On  what  terms?" 

"Whatever  Santa  Anna  might  decree,  and  if  you  had 
seen  the  red  flag  of  no  quarter  waving  in  sight  of  the 
Alamo  you  would  know  his  decree." 

"And  your  reply?" 

"I  told  him  that  we  meant  to  hold  the  place." 

"Good  enough,"  said  King.  "Now  we  will  go  back  to 
business.  I  wish  that  we  had  more  ammunition." 

"Fannin's  men  may  bring  plenty,"  said  Ned.  "And 
now,  if  you  don't  mind,  Captain  King,  I'm  going  to  sleep 
down  there  at  the  foot  of  the  wall,  and  to-night  I'll  join 
the  guard." 

"Do  as  you  wish,"  said  King,  "you  know  more  about 
Texas  and  these  Mexicans  than  any  of  us." 

"I'd  suggest  a  very  thorough  watch  when  night  comes. 
Wake  me  up  about  midnight,  won't  you  ?" 

Ned  lay  down  in  the  place  that  he  had  chosen.  It  was 
only  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  but  he  had  become  so 
inured  to  hardship  that  he  slept  quickly.  Several  shots 
were  fired  before  twilight  came,  but  they  did  not  awaken 
him.  At  midnight  King,  according  to  his  request,  took 
him  by  the  shoulder  and  he  stood  up. 


IN   ANOTHER   TRAP  273 

"Nothing  of  importance  has  happened,"  said  King. 
"You  can  see  the  camp  fires  of  the  Mexicans  in  the  wood, 
but  as  far  as  we  can  tell  they  are  not  making  any  move- 
ment." 

"Probably  they  are  content  to  wait  for  the  main  force," 
said  Ned. 

"Looks  like  it,"  said  King. 

"If  you  have  no  objection,  Captain,"  said  Ned,  "I  think 
I'll  go  outside  and  scout  about  a  little." 

"Good  idea,  I  think,"  said  King. 

They  opened  the  door  a  moment  and  Ned  slipped 
forth.  The  night  was  quite  dark  and,  with  the  experi- 
ence of  border  work  that  he  was  rapidly  acquiring,  he  had 
little  fear  of  being  caught  by  the  Mexicans.  He  kept  his 
eye  on  the  light  burning  in  the  wood  and  curved  in  a 
half  circle  to  the  right.  The  few  houses  that  made  up 
the  village  were  all  dark,  but  his  business  was  with  none 
of  them.  He  intended  to  see,  if  he  could,  whether  the 
main  Mexican  force  was  approaching.  If  it  should  prove 
to  be  at  hand  with  the  heavy  cannon  there  would  be  no 
possible  chance  of  holding  the  mission,  and  they  must  get 
away. 

He  continued  in  his  wide  curve,  knowing  that  in  this 
case  the  longest  way  around  was  the  best  and  safest,  and 
he  gradually  passed  into  a  stretch  of  chaparral  beyond 
the  town.  Crossing  it,  he  came  into  a  meadow,  and  then 
he  suddenly  heard  the  soft  pad  of  feet.  He  sought  to 
spring  back  into  the  chaparral,  but  a  huge  dim  figure 
bore  down  upon  him,  and  then  his  heart  recovered  its 
normal  beat  when  he  saw  that  it  was  only  Old  Jack. 

Ned  stroked  the  great  muzzle  affectionately,  but  he 
was  compelled  to  put  away  his  friend. 

"No,  faithful  comrade,"  he  said.  "I  can't  take  you 
with  me.  I'd  like  to  do  it,  but  there's  no  room  in  a  church 


274  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

for  a  horse  as  big  as  you  are.  Go  now !  Go  at  once, 
or  the  Mexicans  will  get  you !" 

He  struck  the  horse  smartly  on  the  jaw.  Old  Jack 
looked  at  him  reproachfully,  but  turned  and  trotted  away 
from  the  town.  Ned  continued  his  scout.  This  proof  of 
affection  from  a  dumb  brute  cheered  him. 

An  hour's  cautious  work  brought  him  to  the  far  side 
of  the  wood.  As  well  as  he  could  judge,  nearly  all  the 
Mexican  troopers  were  asleep  around  two  fires,  but  they 
had  posted  sentinels  who  walked  back  and  forth,  calling 
at  intervals  "Sentinela  alerte"  to  one  another.  Obviously 
there  had  been  no  increase  in  their  force.  They  were 
sufficient  to  maintain  a  blockade  of  the  church,  but  too 
few  to  surround  it  completely. 

He  went  two  or  three  miles  to  the  west  and,  seeing  no 
evidence  that  the  main  force  was  approaching,  he  decided 
to  return  to  the  church.  His  original  curve  had  taken 
him  by  the  south  side  of  the  wood,  and  he  would  return 
by  the  north  side  in  order  that  his  examination  might  be 
complete. 

He  walked  rapidly,  as  the  night  was  far  advanced,  and 
the  sky  was  very  clear,  with  bright  stars  twinkling  in 
myriads.  He  did  not  wish  day  to  catch  him  outside  the 
mission.  It  was  a  prairie  country,  with  patches  of  forest 
here  and  there,  and  as  he  crossed  from  one  wood  to  an- 
other he  was  wholly  without  cover. 

He  was  within  a  mile  of  the  mission  when  he  heard  the 
faint  tread  of  horses'  hoofs,  and  he  concluded  that  Old 
Jack,  contrary  to  orders,  was  coming  forward  to  meet 
him  again.  He  paused,  but  the  faint  tread  suddenly  be- 
came rapid  and  heavy.  A  half  dozen  horsemen  who  had 
ridden  into  the  prairie  had  caught  sight  of  him  and  now 
they  were  galloping  toward  him.  The  brightness  of  the 
night  showed  Ned  at  once  that  they  were  Mexican  cav- 


IN   ANOTHER  TRAP  275 

alrymen,  and  as  he  was  on  foot  he  was  at  a  great  disad- 
vantage. 

He  ran  at  full  speed  for  the  nearest  grove.  The  Mexi- 
cans fired  several  musket  shots  at  him,  but  the  bullets 
all  went  wild.  He  did  not  undertake  a  reply,  as  he  was 
straining  every  effort  to  reach  the  trees.  Several  pistols 
also  were  emptied  at  him,  but  he  yet  remained  unhurt. 
Nevertheless,  the  horsemen  were  coming  alarmingly  near. 
He  heard  the  thunder  of  hoofs  in  his  ears,  and  he  heard 
also  a  quick  hiss  like  that  of  a  snake. 

Ned  knew  that  the  hissing  sound  was  made  by  a  lasso, 
and  as  he  dodged  he  felt  the  coil,  thrown  in  vain,  slipping 
from  his  shoulders.  He  whirled  about  and  fired  at  the 
man  who  had  thrown  the  lasso.  The  rider  uttered  a  cry, 
fell  backward  on  his  horse,  and  then  to  the  ground. 

As  Ned  turned  for  the  shot  he  saw  that  Urrea  was 
the  leader  of  the  horsemen.  Whether  Urrea  had  recog- 
nized him  or  not  he  did  not  know,  but  the  fact  that  he 
was  there  increased  his  apprehension.  He  made  a  mighty 
effort  and  leaped  the  next  instant  into  the  protection  of 
the  trees  and  thickets.  Fortune  favored  him  now.  A 
wood  alone  would  not  have  protected  him,  but  here  were 
vines  and  bushes  also. 

He  turned  off  at  a  sharp  angle  and  ran  as  swiftly  and 
with  as  little  noise  as  he  could.  He  heard  the  horses 
floundering  in  the  forest,  and  the  curses  of  their  riders. 
He  ran  a  hundred  yards  further  and,  coming  to  a  little 
gully,  lay  down  in  it  and  reloaded  his  rifle.  Then  he 
stayed  there  until  he  could  regain  his  breath  and  strength. 
While  he  lay  he  heard  the  Mexicans  beating  up  the 
thickets,  and  Urrea  giving  sharp  orders. 

Ned  knew  that  his  hiding  place  must  soon  be  discov- 
ered, and  he  began  to  consider  what  would  be  the  best 
movement  to  make  next.  His  heart  had  now  returned 


276  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

to  its  normal  beat,  and  he  felt  that  he  was  good  for  an- 
other fine  burst  of  speed. 

He  heard  the  trampling  of  the  horses  approaching,  and 
then  the  voice  of  Urrea  telling  the  others  that  he  was 
going  straight  ahead  and  to  follow  him.  Evidently  they 
had  beaten  up  the  rest  of  the  forest,  and  now  they  were 
bound  to  come  upon  him.  Ned  sprang  from  the  gully,  ran 
from  the  wood  and  darted  across  the  prairie  toward  the 
next  little  grove. 

He  was  halfway  toward  the  coveted  shelter  when  Urrea 
caught  sight  of  him,  gave  a  shout,  and  fired  his  pistol. 
Ned,  filled  with  hatred  of  Urrea,  fired  in  return.  But 
the  bullet,  instead  of  striking  the  horseman,  struck  the 
horse  squarely  in  the  head.  The  horse  fell  instantly,  and 
Urrea,  hurled  violently  over  his  head,  lay  still. 

Ned  caught  it  all  in  a  fleeting  glance,  and  in  a  few  more 
steps  he  gained  the  second  wood.  He  did  not  know  how 
much  Urrea  was  hurt,  nor  did  he  care.  He  had  paid  back 
a  little,  too.  He  was  sure,  also,  that  the  pursuit  would 
be  less  vigorous,  now  that  its  leader  was  disabled. 

The  second  grove  did  not  contain  so  many  vines  and 
bushes,  but,  hiding  behind  a  tree  there,  Ned  saw  the 
horsemen  hold  off.  Without  Urrea  to  urge  them  on  they 
were  afraid  of  the  rifle  that  the  fugitive  used  so  well. 
Two,  also,  had  stopped  to  tend  Urrea,  and  Ned  decided 
that  the  others  would  not  now  enter  the  grove. 

He  was  right  in  his  surmise.  The  horsemen  rode  about 
at  a  safe  distance  from  the  trees.  Ned,  taking  his  time, 
reloaded  his  rifle  again  and  departed  for  the  mission. 
There  was  now  fairly  good  cover  all  the  way,  but  he 
heard  other  troops  of  Mexicans  riding  about,  and  blow- 
ing trumpets  as  signals.  No  doubt  the  shots  had  been 
heard  at  the  main  camp,  and  many  men  were  seeking 
their  cause. 


IN   ANOTHER   TRAP  277 

But  Ned,  fortunately  for  himself,  was  now  like  the 
needle  in  the  haystack.  While  the  trumpets  signaled  and 
the  groups  of  Mexican  horsemen  rode  into  one  another 
he  stole  back  to  the  old  mission  and  knocked  upon  the 
door  with  the  butt  of  his  rifle.  Answering  King's  ques- 
tions through  the  loophole,  he  was  admitted  quickly. 

"The  main  army  hasn't  come  up  yet,"  he  said,  in  reply 
to  the  eager  inquiries  of  the  defenders.  "Fannin's  men 
may  get  here  in  time,  and  if  they  are  in  sufficient  force 
to  beat  off  the  cavalry  detachment  I  suggest  that  we 
abandon  the  mission  before  we  are  caught  in  a  trap,  and 
retreat  toward  Fannin.  If  we  linger  the  whole  Mexican 
army  will  be  around  us." 

"Sounds  right,"  said  King,  "but  we've  got  to  hear 
from  Fannin  first.  Now  you  look  pretty  tired,  Fulton. 
Suppose  you  roll  up  in  some  blankets  there  by  the  wall 
and  take  a  nap." 

"I  don't  want  to  sleep  now,"  said  Ned.  "You  remem- 
ber that  I  slept  until  nearly  midnight.  But  I  would 
like  to  stretch  out  a  while.  It's  not  very  restful  to  be 
hunted  through  woods  by  Mexicans,  even  if  you  do  get 
away." 

Ned  lay  by  the  wall  upon  the  blankets  and  watched  the 
sun  go  slowly  up  the  arch  of  the  heavens.  It  seemed  a 
hard  fate  to  him  that  he  should  again  be  trapped  thus  in 
an  old  mission.  Nor  did  he  have  here  the  strength  and 
support  of  the  great  borderers  like  Bowie  and  Crockett. 
He  missed  them  most  of  all  now. 

The  day  passed  slowly  and  with  an  occasional  exchange 
of  shots  that  did  little  harm.  Toward  the  twilight  one 
of  the  sentinels  on  the  wall  uttered  a  great  and  joyous 
shout. 

"The  reinforcements !"  he  cried.  "See,  our  friends  are 
coming !" 


278  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

Ned  climbed  upon  the  wall  and  saw  a  force  of  more 
than  a  hundred  men,  obviously  Texans,  approaching. 
They  answered  the  hail  of  the  sentinel  and  came  on  more 
swiftly.  His  eyes  turned  to  the  wood,  in  which  the  Mexi- 
can camp  yet  lay.  Their  cavalry  would  still  outnumber 
the  Texan  force  two  or  three  to  one,  but  the  Mexicans 
invariably  demanded  greater  odds  than  that  before  they 
would  attack  the  Texans.  Ned  saw  no  stir  in  the  wood. 
Not  a  shot  was  fired  as  the  new  men  came  forward  and 
were  joyously  admitted  to  the  church. 

The  men  were  one  hundred  and  twenty  in  number,  led 
by  Colonel  Ward,  who  by  virtue  of  his  rank  now  com- 
manded all  the  defenders.  As  soon  as  they  had  eaten  and 
rested  a  council,  at  which  Ned  was  present,  was  held. 
King  had  already  told  the  story  of  young  Fulton  to  Ward, 
and  that  officer  looked  very  curiously  at  Ned  as  he  came 
forward.  He  asked  him  briefly  about  the  Alamo,  and 
Ned  gave  him  the  usual  replies.  Then  he  told  of  what 
he  had  seen  before  he  joined  King. 

"How  large  do  you  think  this  force  was  ?"  asked  Ward. 

"About  fifteen  hundred  men." 

"And  we've  a  hundred  and  fifty  here.  You  were  not 
much  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  in  the  Alamo,  and 
you  held  it  two  weeks  against  thousands.  Why  should 
we  retreat?" 

"But  the  Alamo  fell  at  last,"  said  Ned,  "and  this  Re- 
fugio  mission  is  not  so  defensible  as  the  Alamo  was." 

"You  think,  then,  we  should  retreat?" 

"I  do.  I'm  sure  the  place  cannot  be  held  against  a 
large  army." 

There  was  much  discussion.  Ned  saw  that  all  the  men 
of  the  new  force  were  raw  recruits  from  the  States  like 
King's.  Many  of  them  were  mere  boys,  drawn  to  Texas 
by  the  love  of  adventure.  They  showed  more  curiosity 


IN   ANOTHER  TRAP  279 

than  alarm,  and  it  was  evident  to  Ned  that  they  felt  able 
to  defeat  any  number  of  Mexicans. 

Ned,  called  upon  again  for  his  opinion,  urged  that  they 
withdraw  from  the  church  and  the  town  at  once,  but 
neither  Ward  nor  King  was  willing  to  make  a  retreat  in 
the  night.  They  did  not  seem  especially  anxious  to  with- 
draw at  all,  but  finally  agreed  to  do  so  in  the  morning. 

Ned  left  the  council,  depressed  and  uneasy.  He  felt 
that  his  countrymen  held  the  Mexicans  too  lightly.  Were 
other  tragedies  to  be  added  to  that  of  the  Alamo?  He 
was  no  egotist,  but  he  was  conscious  of  his  superiority 
to  all  those  present  in  the  grave  affairs  with  which  they 
were  now  dealing. 

He  took  his  rifle  and  went  upon  the  wall,  where  he  re- 
solved to  watch  all  through  the  night.  He  saw  the  lights 
in  the  wood  where  the  Mexicans  were  camped,  but  dark- 
ness and  silence  prevailed  everywhere  else.  He  had  no 
doubt  that  young  Urrea  had  sent  messengers  back  to 
hurry  up  the  main  force.  He  smiled  to  himself  at  the 
thought  of  Urrea.  He  was  sure  that  the  young  Mexican 
had  sustained  no  fatal  injury,  but  he  must  have  painful 
wounds.  And  Ned,  with  the  Alamo  as  vivid  as  ever  in 
his  mind,  was  glad  that  he  had  inflicted  them. 

Midnight  came,  and  Ward  told  Ned  that  he  need  not 
watch  any  longer  when  the  second  relay  of  sentinels  ap- 
peared. But  the  boy  desired  to  remain  and  Ward  had  no 
objection. 

"But  you'll  be  sleepy,"  he  said,  in  a  good-humored 
tone,  "when  we  start  at  the  break  of  day,  and  you  won't 
have  much  chance  to  rest  on  a  long  march." 

"I'll  have  to  take  the  risk,"  said  Ned.  "I  feel  that  I 
ought  to  be  watching." 

Toward  morning  the  men  in  the  mission  were  awak- 
ened and  began  to  prepare  for  the  march.  They  made 


280  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

considerable  noise  as  they  talked  and  adjusted  their  packs, 
but  Ned  paid  no  attention  to  them.  He  was  listening 
instead  to  a  faint  sound  approaching  the  town  from  the 
south.  No  one  in  the  church  or  on  the  walls  heard  it  but 
himself,  but  he  knew  that  it  was  steadily  growing  louder. 

Ned,  moreover,  could  tell  the  nature  of  that  sound, 
and  as  it  swelled  his  heart  sank  within  him.  The  first 
spear  of  light,  herald  of  dawn,  appeared  in  the  east  and 
Ward  called  out  cheerfully : 

"Well,  we  are  all  ready  to  go  now." 

"It  is  too  late,"  said  Ned.  "The  whole  Mexican  army 
is  here." 


CHAPTER  XVT 
FANNIN'S  CAMP 

WHEN  Ned  made  his  startling  announcement  he 
leaped  down  lightly  from  the  wall. 
"If   you    will    look    through    the   loophole 
there,"  he  said  to  Colonel  Ward,  "you  will  see  a  great 
force  only  a  few  hundred  yards  away.    The  man  on  the 
large  horse  in  front  is  General  Urrea,  who  commands 
them.    He  is  one  of  Santa  Anna's  most  trusted  generals. 
His  nephew,  Captain  Urrea,  led  the  cavalry  who  be- 
sieged us  yesterday  and  last  night." 

Captain  Ward  looked,  but  the  Mexicans  turned  into 
the  wood  and  were  hidden  from  sight.  Then  the  belief 
became  strong  among  the  recruits  that  Ned  was  mis- 
taken. This  was  only  a  little  force  that  had  come,  and 
Ward  and  King  shared  their  faith.  Ward,  against  Ned's 
protest,  sent  King  and  thirteen  men  out  to  scout. 

Ned  sadly  watched  them  go.  He  was  one  of  the  young- 
est present,  but  he  was  first  in  experience,  and  he  knew 
that  he  had  seen  aright.  General  Urrea  and  the  main 
army  were  certainly  at  hand.  But  he  deemed  it  wiser  to 
say  nothing  more.  Instead,  he  resumed  his  place  on  the 
wall,  and  kept  sharp  watch  on  the  point  where  he  thought 
the  Mexican  force  lay.  King  and  his  scouts  were  already 
out  of  sight. 

Ned  suddenly  heard  the  sound  of  shots,  and  he  saw 
puffs  of  smoke  from  the  wood.    Then  a  great  shout  arose 
281 


282  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

and  Mexican  cavalry  dashed  from  the  edge  of  the  forest. 
Some  of  the  other  watchers  thought  the  mission  was 
about  to  be  attacked,  but  the  horsemen  bore  down  upon 
another  point  to  the  northward.  Ned  divined  instantly 
that  they  had  discovered  King  and  his  men  and  were 
surrounding  them. 

He  leaped  once  more  from  the  wall  and  shouted  the 
alarm  to  Ward. 

"The  men  out  there  are  surrounded,"  he  cried.  "They 
will  have  no  chance  without  help !" 

Ward  was  brave  enough,  and  his  men,  though  lacking 
skill,  were  brave  enough,  too.  At  his  command  they 
threw  open  the  gate  of  the  mission  and  rushed  out  to  the 
relief  of  their  comrades.  Ned  was  by  the  side  of  Ward, 
near  the  front.  As  they  appeared  in  the  opening  they 
heard  a  great  shouting,  and  a  powerful  detachment  of 
cavalry  galloped  toward  their  right,  while  an  equally 
strong  force  of  infantry  moved  on  their  left.  The 
recruits  were  outnumbered  at  least  five  to  one,  but  in 
such  a  desperate  situation  they  did  not  blench. 

"Take  good  aim  with  your  rifles,"  shouted  Ward. 
And  they  did.  A  shower  of  bullets  cut  gaps  in  the  Mexi- 
can line,  both  horse  and  foot.  Many  riderless  horses  gal- 
loped through  the  ranks  of  the  foe,  adding  to  the  con- 
fusion. But  the  Mexican  numbers  were  so  great  that 
they  continued  to  press  the  Texan s.  Young  Urrea,  his 
head  in  thick  bandages,  was  again  with  the  cavalry,  and 
animated  by  more  than  one  furious  impulse  he  drove 
them  on. 

It  became  evident  now  even  to  the  rawest  that  the  whole 
Mexican  army  was  present.  It  spread  out  to  a  great 
distance,  and  enfolded  the  Texans  on  three  sides,  firing 
hundreds  of  muskets  and  keeping  up  a  great  shouting. 
Ned's  keen  ear  also  detected  other  firing  off  to  the  right, 


FANNIN'S   CAMP  283 

and  he  knew  that  it  was  King  and  his  men  making  a 
hopeless  defence  against  overpowering  numbers. 

"We  cannot  reach  King,"  groaned  Ward. 

"We  have  no  earthly  chance  of  doing  so,"  said  Ned, 
"and  I  think,  Colonel,  that  your  own  force  will  have  a 
hard  fight  to  get  back  inside  the  mission." 

The  truth  of  Ned's  words  was  soon  evident  to  every- 
one. It  was  only  the  deadly  Texan  rifles  that  kept  the 
Mexican  cavalry  from  galloping  over  them  and  crushing 
them  at  once.  The  Mexican  fire  itself,  coming  from 
muskets  of  shorter  range,  did  little  damage.  Yet  the 
Texans  were  compelled  to  load  and  pull  trigger  very 
fast,  as  they  retreated  slowly  upon  the  mission. 

At  last  they  reached  the  great  door  and  began  to  pass 
rapidly  inside.  Now  the  Mexicans  pressed  closer,  firing 
heavy  volleys. 

A  score  of  the  best  Texan  marksmen  whirled  and  sent 
their  bullets  at  the  pursuing  Mexicans  with  such  good 
aim  that  a  dozen  saddles  were  emptied,  and  the  whole 
force  reeled  back.  Then  all  the  Texans  darted  inside, 
and  the  great  door  was  closed  and  barricaded.  Many  of 
the  men  sank  down,  breathless  from  their  exertions,  re- 
gardless of  the  Mexican  bullets  that  were  pattering  upon 
the  church.  Ward  leaned  against  the  wall,  and  wiped  the 
perspiration  from  his  face. 

"My  God!"  he  exclaimed.  "What  has  become  of 
King?" 

There  was  no  answer.  The  Mexicans  ceased  to  fire 
and  shout,  and  retreated  toward  the  wood.  Ward  was 
destined  never  to  know  what  had  become  of  King  and 
his  men,  but  Ned  soon  learned  the  terrible  facts,  and  they 
only  hardened  him  still  further.  The  thirteen  had  been 
compelled  to  surrender  to  overwhelming  numbers.  Then 
they  were  immediately  tied  to  trees  and  killed,  where 


284  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

their  skeletons  remained  upright  until  the  Texans  found 
them. 

"You  were  right,  Fulton,"  said  Ward,  after  a  long 
silence.  "The  Mexican  army  was  there,  as  we  have 
plenty  of  evidence  to  show." 

He  smiled  sadly,  as  he  wiped  the  smoke  and  perspira- 
tion from  his  face.  Ned  did  not  reply,  but  watched 
through  a  loophole.  He  had  seen  a  glint  of  bronze  in 
the  wood,  and  presently  he  saw  the  Mexicans  pushing  a 
cannon  from  cover. 

"They  have  artillery,"  he  said  to  Ward.  "See  the  gun. 
But  I  don't  think  it  can  damage  our  walls  greatly.  They 
never  did  much  with  the  cannon  at  the  Alamo.  When 
they  came  too  close  there,  we  shot  down  all  their  can- 
noneers, and  we  can  do  the  same  here." 

Ward  chose  the  best  sharpshooters,  posting  them  at  the 
loopholes  and  on  the  walls.  They  quickly  slew  the  Mex- 
icans who  tried  to  man  the  gun,  and  General  Urrea  was 
forced  to  withdraw  it  to  such  a  distance  that  its  balls  and 
shells  had  no  effect  whatever  upon  the  strong  walls  of 
the  church. 

There  was  another  period  of  silence,  but  the  watchers 
in  the  old  mission  saw  that  much  movement  was  going 
on  in  the  wood  and  presently  they  beheld  the  result.  The 
Mexican  army  charged  directly  upon  the  church,  carrying 
in  its  center  men  with  heavy  bars  of  wood  to  be  used  in 
smashing  in  the  door.  But  they  yielded  once  more  to 
the  rapid  fire  of  the  Texan  rifles,  and  did  not  succeed  in 
reaching  the  building.  Those  who  bore  the  logs  and  bars 
dropped  them,  and  fled  out  of  range. 

A  great  cheer  burst  from  the  young  recruits.  They 
thought  victory  complete  already,  but  Ned  knew  that  the 
Mexicans  would  not  abandon  the  enterprise.  General 
Urrea,  after  another  futile  charge,  repulsed  in  the  same 


FANNIN'S   CAMP  285 

deadly  manner,  withdrew  some  distance,  but  posted  a 
strong  line  of  sentinels  about  the  church. 

Having  much  food  and  water  the  recruits  rejoiced 
again  and  thought  themselves  secure,  but  Ned  noticed  a 
look  of  consternation  on  the  face  of  Ward,  and  he  di- 
vined the  cause. 

"It  must  be  the  ammunition,  Colonel,"  he  said  in  a 
whisper. 

"It  is,"  replied  Ward.  "We  have  only  three  or  four 
rounds  left.  We  could  not  possibly  repel  another  at- 
tack." 

"Then,"  said  young  Fulton,  "there  is  nothing  to  do  but 
for  us  to  slip  out  at  night,  and  try  to  cut  our  way 
through." 

"That  is  so,"  said  Ward.  "The  Mexican  general 
doubtless  will  not  expect  any  such  move  on  our  part,  and 
we  may  get  away." 

He  said  nothing  of  his  plan  to  the  recruits  until  the 
darkness  came,  and  then  the  state  of  the  powder  horns 
and  the  bullet  pouches  was  announced.  Most  of  the  men 
had  supposed  that  they  alone  were  suffering  from  the 
shortage,  and  something  like  despair  came  over  them 
when  they  found  that  they  were  practically  without 
weapons.  They  were  more  than  willing  to  leave  the 
church,  as  soon  as  the  night  deepened,  and  seek  refuge 
over  the  prairie. 

"You  think  that  we  can  break  through  ?"  said  Ward  to 
Ned. 

"I  have  no  doubt  of  it,"  replied  Ned,  "but  in  any 
event  it  seems  to  me,  Colonel,  that  we  ought  to  try 
it.  All  the  valor  and  devotion  of  the  men  in  the  Alamo 
did  not  suffice  to  save  them.  We  cannot  hold  the  place 
against  a  determined  assault." 

"That  is  undoubtedly  true,"  said  Ward,  "and  flushed 


286  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

by  the  success  that  they  have  had  elsewhere  it  seems 
likely  to  me  that  the  Mexicans  will  make  such  an  attack 
very  soon." 

"In  any  event,"  said  Ned,  "we  are  isolated  here,  cut  off 
from  Fannin,  and  exposed  to  imminent  destruction." 

"We  start  at  midnight,"  said  Ward. 

Ned  climbed  upon  the  walls,  and  examined  all  the  sur- 
rounding country.  He  saw  lights  in  the  wood,  and  now 
and  then  he  discerned  the  figures  of  Mexican  horsemen, 
riding  in  a  circle  about  the  church,  members  of  the  pa- 
trol that  had  been  left  by  General  Urrea.  He  did  not 
think  it  a  difficult  thing  to  cut  through  this  patrol,  but 
the  Texans,  in  their  flight,  must  become  disorganized  to 
a  certain  extent.  Nevertheless  it  was  the  only  alternative. 

The  men  were  drawn  up  at  the  appointed  time,  and 
Ward  told  them  briefly  what  they  were  to  do.  They  must 
keep  as  well  together  as  possible,  and  the  plan  was  to 
make  their  way  to  Victoria,  where  they  expected  to  re- 
join Fannin.  They  gave  calabashes  of  water  and  pro- 
visions to  several  men  too  badly  wounded  to  move,  and 
left  them  to  the  mercy  of  the  Mexicans,  a  mercy  that  did 
not  exist,  as  Urrea's  troops  massacred  them  the  moment 
they  entered  the  church. 

Luckily  it  was  a  dark  night,  and  Ned  believed  that  they 
had  more  than  half  a  chance  of  getting  away.  The  great 
door  was  thrown  silently  open,  and,  with  a  moving  fare- 
well to  their  wounded  and  disabled  comrades,  they  filed 
silently  out,  leaving  the  door  open  behind  them. 

Then  the  column  of  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  men 
slipped  away,  every  man  treading  softly.  They  had 
chosen  a  course  that  lay  directly  away  from  the  Mexican 
army,  but  they  did  not  expect  to  escape  without  an  alarm, 
and  it  came  in  five  minutes.  A  Mexican  horseman,  one 
of  the  patrol,  saw  the  dark  file,  fired  a  shot  and  gave  an 


FANNIN'S   CAMP  287 

alarm.  In  an  instant  all  the  sentinels  were  firing  and 
shouting,  and  Urrea's  army  in  the  wood  was  awakening. 

But  the  Texans  now  pressed  forward  rapidly.  Their 
rifles  cracked,  quickly  cutting  a  path  through  the  patrol, 
and  before  Urrea  could  get  up  his  main  force  they  were 
gone  through  the  forest  and  over  the  prairie. 

Knowing  that  the  whole  country  was  swarming  with 
the  Mexican  forces,  they  chose  a  circuitous  course 
through  forests  and  swamps  and  pressed  on  until  day- 
light. Some  of  the  Mexicans  on  horseback  followed 
them  for  a  while,  but  a  dozen  of  the  best  Texan  shots 
were  told  off  to  halt  them.  When  three  or  four  saddles 
were  emptied  the  remainder  of  the  Mexicans  disappeared 
and  they  pursued  their  flight  in  peace. 

Morning  found  them  in  woods  and  thickets  by  the 
banks  of  a  little  creek  of  clear  water.  They  drank  from 
the  stream,  ate  of  their  cold  food,  and  rested.  Ned  and 
some  others  left  the  wood  and  scouted  upon  the  prairie. 
They  saw  no  human  being  and  returned  to  their  own 
people,  feeling  sure  that  they  were  safe  from  pursuit  for 
the  present. 

Yet  the  Texans  felt  no  exultation.  They  had  been 
compelled  to  retreat  before  the  Mexicans,  and  they  could 
not  forget  King  and  his  men,  and  those  whom  they  had 
left  behind  in  the  church.  Ned,  in  his  heart,  knowing 
the  Mexicans  so  well,  did  not  believe  that  a  single  one 
of  them  had  been  saved. 

They  walked  the  whole  day,  making  for  the  town  of 
Victoria,  where  they  expected  to  meet  Fannin,  and 
shortly  before  night  they  stopped  in  a  wood,  footsore  and 
exhausted.  Again  their  camp  was  pitched  on  the  banks 
of  a  little  creek  and  some  of  the  hunters  shot  two  fine 
fat  deer  further  up  the  stream. 

Seeking  as  much  cheer  as  they  could  they  built  fires, 


288  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

and  roasted  the  deer.  The  spirits  of  the  young  recruits 
rose.  They  would  meet  Fannin  to-morrow  or  the  next 
day  and  they  would  avenge  the  insult  that  the  Mexicans 
had  put  upon  them.  They  were  eager  for  a  new  action 
in  which  the  odds  should  not  be  so  great  against  them, 
and  they  felt  sure  of  victory.  Then,  posting  their  sen- 
tinels, they  slept  soundly. 

But  Ned  did  not  feel  so  confident.  Toward  morning 
he  rose  from  his  blankets.  Yet  he  saw  nothing. 
The  prairie  was  bare.  There  was  not  a  single  sign 
of  pursuit.  He  was  surprised.  He  believed  that 
at  least  the  younger  Urrea  with  the  cavalry  would 
follow. 

Ned  now  surmised  the  plan  that  the  enemy  had  carried 
out.  Instead  of  following  the  Texans  through  the  for- 
ests and  swamps  they  had  gone  straight  to  Victoria, 
knowing  that  the  fugitives  would  make  for  that  point. 
[Where  Fannin  was  he  could  not  even  guess,  but  it  was 
certain  that  Ward  and  his  men  were  left  practically  with- 
out ammunition  to  defend  themselves  as  best  they  could 
against  a  horde  of  foes. 

The  hunted  Texans  sought  the  swamps  of  the 
Guadalupe,  where  Mexican  cavalry  could  not  follow 
them,  but  where  they  were  soon  overtaken  by  skirmishers. 
Hope  was  now  oozing  from  the  raw  recruits.  There 
seemed  to  be  no  place  in  the  world  for  them.  Hunted 
here  and  there  they  never  found  rest.  But  the  most 
terrible  fact  of  all  was  the  lack  of  ammunition.  Only  a 
single  round  for  every  man  was  left,  and  they  replied 
sparingly  to  the  Mexican  skirmishers. 

They  lay  now  in  miry  woods,  and  on  the  other  side  of 
them  flowed  the  wide  and  yellow  river.  The  men  sought, 
often  in  vain,  for  firm  spots  on  which  they  might  rest. 
The  food,  like  the  ammunition,  was  all  gone,  and  they 


FANNIN'S   CAMP  289 

were  famished  and  weak.  The  scouts  reported  that  the 
Mexicans  were  increasing  every  hour. 

It  was  obvious  to  Ned  that  Ward  must  surrender. 
What  could  men  without  ammunition  do  against  many 
times  their  number,  well  armed?  He  resolved  that  he 
would  not  be  taken  with  them,  and  shortly  before  day  he 
pulled  through  the  mud  to  the  edge  of  the  Guadalupe. 
He  undressed  and  made  his  clothes  and  rifle  into  a 
bundle.  He  had  been  very  careful  of  his  own  ammuni- 
tion, and  he  had  a  half  dozen  rounds  left,  which  he  also 
tied  into  the  bundle. 

Then  shoving  a  fallen  log  into  the  water  he  bestrode 
it,  holding  his  precious  pack  high  and  dry.  Paddling 
with  one  hand  he  was  able  to  direct  the  log  in  a  diagonal 
course  across  the  stream.  He  toiled  through  another 
swamp  on  that  shore,  and,  coming  out  upon  a  little 
prairie,  dressed  again. 

He  looked  back  toward  the  swamp  in  which  the  Texans 
lay,  but  he  saw  no  lights  and  he  heard  no  sounds  there. 
He  knew  that  within  a  short  time  they  would  be  prisoners 
of  the  Mexicans.  Everything  seemed  to  be  working  for 
the  benefit  of  Santa  Anna.  The  indecision  of  the  Texans 
and  the  scattering  of  their  forces  enabled  the  Mexicans 
to  present  overwhelming  forces  at  all  points.  It  seemed 
to  Ned  that  fortune,  which  had  worked  in  their  favor 
until  the  capture  of  San  Antonio,  was  now  working 
against  them  steadily  and  with  overwhelming  power. 

He  gathered  himself  together  as  best  he  could,  and 
began  his  journey  southward.  He  believed  that  Fannin 
would  be  at  Goliad  or  near  it.  Once  more  that  feeling 
of  vengeance  hardened  within  him.  The  tremendous  im- 
pression of  the  Alamo  had  not  faded  a  particle,  and  now 
the  incident  of  Ward,  Refugio  and  the  swamps  of  the 
Guadalupe  was  cumulative.  Remembering  what  he  had 


290  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

seen  he  did  not  believe  that  a  single  one  of  Ward's  men 
would  be  spared  when  they  were  taken  as  they  surely 
would  be.  There  were  humane  men  among  the  Mex- 
icans, like  Almonte,  but  the  ruthless  policy  of  Santa  Anna 
was  to  spare  no  one,  and  Santa  Anna  held  all  the  power. 

He  held  on  toward  Goliad,  passing  through  alternate 
regions  of  forest  and  prairie,  and  he  maintained  a  fair 
pace  until  night.  He  had  not  eaten  since  morning,  and 
all  his  venison  was  gone,  but  strangely  enough  he  was 
not  hungry.  When  the  darkness  was  coming  he  sat 
down  in  one  of  the  little  groves  so  frequent  in  that  re- 
gion, and  he  was  conscious  of  a  great  weariness.  His 
bones  ached.  But  it  was  not  the  ache  that  comes  from 
exertion.  It  seemed  to  go  to  the  very  marrow.  It  be- 
came a  pain  rather  than  exhaustion. 

He  noticed  that  everything  about  him  appeared  unreal. 
The  trees  and  the  earth  itself  wavered.  His  head  began 
to  ache  and  his  stomach  was  weak.  Had  the  finest  of 
food  been  presented  to  him  he  could  not  have  eaten  it. 
He  had  an  extraordinary  feeling  of  depression  and  de- 
spair. 

Ned  knew  what  was  the  matter  with  him.  He  was 
suffering  efther  from  overwhelming  nervous  and  physical 
exhaustion,  or  he  had  contracted  malaria  in  the  swamps 
of  the  Guadalupe.  Despite  every  effort  of  the  will,  he 
began  to  shake  with  cold,  and  he  knew  that  a  chill  was 
coming.  He  had  retained  his  blankets,  his  frontiersman's 
foresight  not  deserting  him,  and  now,  knowing  that  he 
could  not  continue  his  flight  for  the  present,  he  sought 
the  deepest  part  of  the  thicket.  He  crept  into  a  place  so 
dense  that  it  would  have  been  suited  for  an  animal's  den, 
and  lying  down  there  he  wrapped  the  blankets  tightly 
about  himself,  his  rifle  and  his  ammunition. 

In  spite  of  his  clothing  and  the  warm  blankets  he  grew 


FANNIN'S   CAMP  291 

colder  and  colder.  His  teeth  chattered  and  he  shivered 
all  over.  He  would  not  have  minded  that  so  much,  but 
his  head  ached  with  great  violence,  and  the  least  light 
hurt  his  eyes.  It  seemed  to  him  the  culmination.  Never 
had  he  been  more  miserable,  more  lost  of  both  body  and 
soul.  The  pain  in  his  head  was  so  violent  that  life  was 
scarcely  worth  the  price. 

He  sank  by  and  by  into  a  stupor.  He  was  remotely 
conscious  that  he  was  lying  in  a  thicket,  somewhere  in 
boundless  Texas,  but  it  did  not  really  matter.  Cougars 
or  bears  might  come  there  to  find  him,  but  he  was  too 
sick  to  raise  a  hand  against  them.  Besides,  he  did  not 
care.  A  million  Mexicans  might  be  beating  up  those 
thickets  for  him,  and  they  would  be  sure  to  find  him. 
Well,  what  of  it?  They  would  shoot  him,  and  he  would 
merely  go  at  once  to  some  other  planet,  where  he  would 
be  better  off  than  he  was  now. 

It  seems  that  fate  reserves  her  severest  ordeals  for  the 
strong  and  the  daring,  as  if  she  would  respond  to  the 
challenges  they  give.  It  seems  also  that  often  she  brings 
them  through  the  test,  as  if  she  likes  the  courage  and 
enterprise  that  dare  her,  the  all-powerful,  to  combat. 
Ned's  intense  chill  abated.  He  ceased  to  shake  so  vio- 
lently, and  after  a  while  he  did  not  shake  at  all.  Then 
fever  came.  Intolerable  heat  flowed  through  every  vein, 
and  his  head  was  ready  to  burst.  After  a  while  violent 
perspiration  broke  out  all  over  him,  and  then  he  became 
unconscious. 

Ned  lay  all  night  in  the  thicket,  wrapped  in  the 
blankets,  and  breathing  heavily.  Once  or  twice  he  half 
awoke,  and  remembered  things  dimly,  but  these  periods 
were  very  brief  and  he  sank  back  into  stupor.  When  he 
awoke  to  stay  awake  the  day  was  far  advanced,  and  he 
felt  an  overwhelming  lassitude.  He  slowly  unwound 


292  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

himself  from  his  blankets  and  looked  at  his  hand.  It  was 
uncommonly  white,  and  it  seemed  to  him  to  be  as  weak 
as  that  of  a  child. 

He  crept  out  of  the  thicket  and  rose  to  his  feet.  He 
was  attacked  by  dizziness  and  clutched  a  bush  for  sup- 
port. His  head  still  ached,  though  not  with  the  violence 
of  the  night  before,  but  he  was  conscious  that  he  had  be- 
come a  very  weak  and  poor  specimen  of  the  human  being. 
Everything  seemed  very  far  away,  impossible  to  be 
reached. 

He  gathered  strength  enough  to  roll  up  his  blankets 
and  shoulder  his  rifle.  Then  he  looked  about  a  little. 
There  was  the  same  alternation  of  woods  and  prairie, 
devoid  of  any  human  being.  He  did  not  expect  to  see 
any  Texans,  unless,  by  chance,  Fannin  came  marching 
that  way,  but  a  detachment  of  Mexican  lancers  might 
stumble  upon  him  at  any  moment.  The  thought,  how- 
ever, caused  him  no  alarm.  He  felt  so  much  weakness 
and  depression  that  the  possibility  of  capture  or  death 
could  not  add  to  it. 

Young  Fulton  was  not  hungry, — the  chill  and  follow- 
ing fever  had  taken  his  appetite  away  so  thoroughly, — 
but  he  felt  that  he  must  eat.  He  found  some  early 
berries  in  the  thickets  and  they  restored  his  strength 
a  little,  but  the  fare  was  so  thin  and  unsubstantial  that 
he  decided  to  look  for  game.  He  could  never  reach 
Fannin  or  anybody  else  in  his  present  reduced  con- 
dition. 

He  saw  a  line  of  oaks,  which  he  knew  indicated  the 
presence  of  a  water-course,  probably  one  of  the  shallow 
creeks,  so  numerous  in  Eastern  Texas,  and  he  walked 
toward  it,  still  dizzy  and  his  footsteps  dragging.  His 
head  was  yet  aching,  and  the  sun,  which  was  now  out  in 
full  brightness,  made  it  worse,  but  he  persisted,  and,  after 


FANNIN'S   CAMP  293 

an  interminable  time,  he  reached  the  shade  of  the  oaks, 
which,  as  he  surmised,  lined  both  sides  of  a  creek. 

He  drank  of  the  water,  rested  a  while,  and  then  began 
a  search  of  the  oaks.  He  was  looking  for  squirrels, 
which  he  knew  abounded  in  these  trees,  and,  after  much 
slow  and  painful  walking,  he  shot  a  fine  fat  one  among" 
the  boughs.  Then  followed  the  yet  more  mighty  task  of 
kindling  a  fire  with  sticks  and  tinder,  but  just  when  he 
was  completely  exhausted,  and  felt  that  he  must  fail,  the 
spark  leaped  up,  set  fire  to  the  white  ash  that  he  had 
scraped  with  his  knife,  and  in  a  minute  later  a  good  fire 
was  blazing. 

He  cooked  the  tenderest  parts  of  the  squirrel  and  ate, 
still  forcing  his  appetite.  Then  he  carefully  put  out  the 
fire  and  went  a  mile  further  up  the  creek.  He  felt 
stronger,  but  he  knew  that  he  was  not  yet  in  any  condi- 
tion for  a  long  journey.  He  was  most  intent  now  upon 
guarding  against  a  return  of  the  chill.  It  was  not  the- 
right  time  for  one  to  be  ill.  Again  he  sought  a  place  in 
a  thicket,  like  an  animal  going  to  its  den,  and,  wrapping 
himself  tightly  in  the  blankets,  lay  down. 

He  watched  with  anxiety  for  the  first  shiver  of  the 
dreaded  chill.  Once  or  twice  imagination  made  him  feel 
sure  that  it  had  come,  but  it  always  passed  quickly.  His 
body  remained  warm,  and,  while  he  was  still  watching 
for  the  chill,  he  fell  asleep,  and  slept  soundly  all  through 
the  night. 

The  break  of  day  aroused  him.  He  felt  strong  and 
well,  and  he  was  in  a  pleasant  glow,  because  he  knew 
now  that  the  chill  would  not  come.  It  had  been  due  to 
overtaxed  nerves,  and  there  was  no  malaria  in  his  sys- 
tem. 

He  hunted  again  among  the  big  trees  until  he  found  a 
squirrel  on  one  of  the  high  boughs.  He  fired  at  it  and 


294  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

missed.  He  found  another  soon  and  killed  it  at  the  first 
shot.  But  the  miss  had  been  a  grave  matter.  He  had 
only  four  bullets  left.  He  took  them  out  and  looked  at 
them,  little  shining  pellets  of  lead.  His  life  depended 
upon  these  four,  and  he  must  not  miss  again. 

It  took  him  an  hour  to  start  his  fire,  and  he  ate  only 
half  of  the  squirrel,  putting  the  remainder  into  his  bullet 
pouch  for  future  needs.  Then,  much  invigorated,  he  re- 
sumed his  vague  journey.  But  he  was  compelled  very 
soon  to  go  slowly  and  with  the  utmost  caution.  There 
were  even  times  when  he  had  to  stop  and  hide.  Mexican 
cavalry  appeared  upon  the  prairies,  first  in  small  groups 
and  then  in  a  detachment  of  about  three  hundred.  Their 
course  and  Ned's  was  the  same,  and  he  knew  then  that 
he  was  going  in  the  right  direction.  Fannin  was  surely 
somewhere  ahead. 

But  it  was  most  troublesome  traveling  for  Ned.  If 
they  saw  him  they  could  easily  ride  him  down,  and  what 
chance  would  he  have  with  only  four  bullets  in  his 
pouch?  Or  rather,  what  chance  would  he  have  if  the 
pouch  contained  a  hundred? 

The  only  thing  that  favored  him  was  the  creek  which 
ran  in  the  way  that  he  wanted  to  go.  He  kept  in  the 
timber  that  lined  its  banks,  and,  so  long  as  he  had  this 
refuge,  he  felt  comparatively  safe,  since  the  Mexicans, 
obviously,  were  not  looking  for  him.  Yet  they  often 
came  perilously  near.  Once,  a  large  band  rode  down  to 
the  creek  to  water  their  horses,  when  Ned  was  not  fifty 
feet  distant.  He  instantly  lay  flat  among  some  bushes, 
and  did  not  move.  He  could  hear  the  horses  blowing  the 
water  back  with  their  noses,  as  they  drank. 

When  the  horses  were  satisfied,  the  cavalrymen  turned 
and  rode  away,  passing  so  near  that  it  seemed  to  him 
they  had  only  to  look  down  and  see  him  lying  among  the 


FANNIN'S   CAMP  295 

bushes.  But  they  went  on,  and,  when  they  were  out  of 
sight,  he  rose  and  continued  his  flight  through  the  timber. 

But  this  alternate  fleeing  and  dodging  was  most  ex- 
hausting work,  and  before  the  day  was  very  old  he  de- 
cided that  he  would  lie  down  in  a  thicket,  and  postpone 
further  flight  until  night.  Just  when  he  had  found  such 
a  place  he  heard  the  faint  sound  of  distant  firing.  He 
put  his  ear  to  the  earth,  and  then  the  crackle  of  rifles 
came  more  distinctly.  His  ear,  experienced  now,  told 
him  that  many  men  must  be  engaged,  and  he  was  sure 
that  Fannin  and  the  Mexican  army  had  come  into  con- 
tact. 

Young  Fulton's  heart  began  to  throb.  The  dark  vision 
of  the  Alamo  came  before  him  again.  All  the  hate  that 
he  felt  for  the  Mexicans  flamed  up.  He  must  be  there 
with  Fannin,  fighting  against  the  hordes  of  Santa  Anna. 
He  rose  and  ran  toward  the  firing.  He  saw  from  the 
crest  of  a  hillock  a  wide  plain  with  timber  on  one  side 
and  a  creek  on  the  other.  The  center  of  the  plain  was  a 
shallow  valley,  and  there  the  firing  was  heavy. 

Ned  saw  many  flashes  and  puffs  of  smoke,  and  pres- 
ently he  heard  the  thud  of  cannon.  Then  he  saw  near 
him  Mexican  cavalry  galloping  through  the  timber.  He 
could  not  doubt  any  longer  that  a  battle  was  in  progress. 
His  excitement  increased,  and  he  ran  at  full  speed 
through  the  bushes  and  grass  into  the  plain,  which  he 
now  saw  took  the  shape  of  a  shallow  saucer.  The  firing 
indicated  that  the  defensive  force  stood  in  the  center  of 
the  saucer,  that  is,  in  the  lowest  and  worst  place. 

A  terrible  fear  assailed  young  Fulton,  as  he  ran. 
Could  it  be  possible  that  Fannin  also  was  caught  in  a 
trap,  here  on  the  open  prairie,  with  the  Mexicans  in 
vastly  superior  numbers  on  the  high  ground  around  him  ? 
He  remembered,  too,  that  Fannin's  men  were  raw  re- 


296  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

cruits  like  those  with  Ward,  and  his  fear,  which  was  not 
for  himself,  increased  as  he  ran. 

He  noticed  that  there  was  no  firing  from  one  segment 
of  the  ring  in  the  saucer,  and  he  directed  his  course 
toward  it.  As  soon  as  he  saw  horses  and  men  moving  he 
threw  up  his  hands  and  cried  loudly  over  and  over  again : 
"I'm  a  friend !  Do  not  shoot !"  He  saw  a  rifle  raised 
and  aimed  at  him,  but  a  hand  struck  it  down.  A  few 
minutes  later  he  sprang  breathless  into  the  camp,  and 
friendly  hands  held  him  up  as  he  was  about,  to  pitch  for- 
ward with  exhaustion. 

His  breath  and  poise  came  back  in  a  few  moments,  and 
he  looked  about  him.  He  had  made  no  mistake.  He  was 
with  Fannin's  force,  and  it  was  already  pressed  hard  by 
Urrea's  army.  Even  as  he  drew  fresh, 'deep  breaths  he 
saw  a  heavy  mass  of  Mexican  cavalry  gallop  from  the 
wood,  wheel  and  form  a  line  between  Fannin  and  the 
creek,  the  only  place  where  the  besieged  force  could  ob- 
tain water. 

"Who  are  you?"  asked  an  officer,  advancing  toward 
Ned. 

Young  Fulton  instantly  recognized  Fannin. 

"My  name  is  Edward  Fulton,  you  will  recall  me, 
Colonel,"  he  replied.  "I  was  in  the  Alamo,  but  went  out 
the  day  before  it  fell.  I  was  taken  by  the  Mexicans,  but 
escaped,  fled  across  the  prairie,  and  was  in  the  mission 
at  Refugio  when  some  of  your  men  under  Colonel  Ward 
came  to  the  help  of  King." 

"I  have  heard  that  the  church  was  abandoned,  but 
where  is  Ward,  and  where  are  his  men?" 

Ned  hesitated  and  Fannin  read  the  answer  in  his  eyes. 

"You  cannot  tell  me  so !"  he  exclaimed. 

"I'm  afraid  that  they  will  all  be  taken,"  said  Ned. 
"They  had  no  ammunition  when  I  slipped  away,  and  the 


FANNIN'S   CAMP  297 

Mexicans  were  following  them.  There  was  no  possibility 
of  escape." 

Fannin  paled.  But  he  pressed  his  lips  firmly  together 
for  a  moment  and  then  said  to  Ned : 

"Keep  this  to  yourself,  will  you?  Our  troops  are 
young  and  without  experience.  It  would  discourage 
them  too  much." 

"Of  course,"  said  Ned.  "But  meanwhile  I  wish  to 
fight  with  you." 

"There  will  be  plenty  of  chance,"  said  Fannin.  "Hark 
to  it!" 

The  sound  of  firing  swelled  on  all  sides  of  them,  and 
above  it  rose  the  triumphant  shouts  of  the  Mexicans. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  SAD   SURRENDER 

NED  took  another  look  at  the  beleaguered  force, 
and  what  he  saw  did  not  encourage  him.  The 
men,  crowded  together,  were  standing  in  a  de- 
pression seven  or  eight  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  sur- 
rounding prairie.  Near  by  was  an  ammunition  wagon 
with  a  broken  axle.  The  men  themselves,  three  ranks 
deep,  were  in  a  hollow  square,  with  the  cannon  at  the 
angles  and  the  supply  wagons  in  the  center.  Every  face 
looked  worn  and  anxious,  but  they  did  not  seem  to  have 
lost  heart. 

Yet,  as  Ned  had  foreseen,  this  was  quite  a  different 
force  from  that  which  had  held  the  Alamo  so  long,  and 
against  so  many.  Most  of  the  young  faces  were  not  yet 
browned  by  the  burning  sun  of  Texas.  Drawn  by  the 
reports  of  great  adventure  they  had  come  from  far 
places,  and  each  little  company  had  its  own  name.  There 
were  the  "Grays"  from  New  Orleans,  the  "Mustangs" 
from  Kentucky,  the  "Red  Rovers"  from  Alabama  and 
others  with  fancy  names,  but  altogether  they  numbered, 
with  the  small  reinforcements  that  had  been  received, 
only  three  hundred  and  fifty  men. 

Ned  could  have  shed  tears,  when  he  looked  upon  the 
force.  He  felt  himself  a  veteran  beside  them.  Yet  there 
was  no  lack  of  courage  among  them.  They  did  not 
flinch,  as  the  fire  grew  heavier,  and  the  cannon  balls 
whistled  over  their  heads.  Ned  was  sure  now  that  Gen- 
298 


THE   SAD   SURRENDER  299 

eral  Urrea  was  around  them  with  his  whole  army.  The 
presence  of  the  cannon  indicated  it,  and  he  saw  enough 
to  know  that  the  Mexican  force  outnumbered  the  Texan 
four  or  five  to  one. 

He  heard  the  Mexican  trumpets  pealing  presently,  and 
then  he  saw  their  infantry  advancing  in  dark  masses 
with  heavy  squadrons  of  cavalry  on  either  flank.  But  as 
soon  as  they  came  within  range,  they  were  swept  by  the 
deadly  fire  of  the  Texan  rifles  and  were  driven  back  in 
confusion.  Ned  noticed  that  this  always  happened.  The 
Mexicans  could  never  carry  a  Texan  position  by  a  frontal 
attack.  The  Texans,  or  those  who  were  called  the 
Texans,  shot  straight  and  together  so  fast  that  no  Mex- 
ican column  could  withstand  their  hail  of  bullets. 

A  second  time  the  Mexicans  charged,  and  a  second 
time  they  were  driven  back  in  the  same  manner.  Exul- 
tation spread  among  the  recruits  standing  in  the  hollow, 
but  they  were  still  surrounded.  The  Mexicans  merely 
drew  out  of  range  and  waited.  Then  they  attacked  a 
third  time,  and,  from  all  sides,  charging  very  close,  in- 
fantry and  cavalry.  The  men  in  the  hollow  were  well 
supplied  with  rifles,  and  their  square  fairly  blazed.  Yet 
the  Mexicans  pressed  home  the  charge  with  a  courage 
and  tenacity  that  Ned  had  never  seen  among  them  be- 
fore. These  were  Mexico's  best  troops,  and,  even  when 
the  men  faltered,  the  officers  drove  them  on  again  with 
the  point  of  the  sword.  General  Urrea  himself  led  the 
cavalry,  and  the  Mexicans  pressed  so  close  that  the  re- 
cruits saw  both  lance  and  bayonet  points  shining  in  their 
faces. 

The  hollow  in  which  the  Texans  stood  was  a  huge 
cloud  of  flame  and  smoke.  Ned  was  loading  and  firing 
so  fast  that  the  barrel  of  his  rifle  grew  hot  to  the  touch. 
He  stood  with  two  youths  but  little  older  than  himself, 


300  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

and  the  comradeship  of  battle  had  already  made  them 
friends.  But  they  scarcely  saw  the  faces  of  one  another. 
The  little  valley  was  filled  with  the  smoke  of  their  firing. 
They  breathed  it  and  tasted  it,  and  it  inflamed  their 
brains. 

Ned's  experience  had  made  him  a  veteran,  and  when 
he  heard  the  thunder  of  the  horse's  hoofs  and  saw  the 
lance  points  so  near  he  knew  that  the  crisis  had  come. 

"One  more  volley.  One  for  your  lives!"  he  cried  to 
those  around  him. 

The  volley  was  forthcoming.  The  rifles  were  dis- 
charged at  the  range  of  only  a  few  yards  into  the  mass 
of  Mexican  cavalry.  Horses  and  men  fell  headlong, 
some  pitching  to  the  very  feet  of  the  Texans  and  then 
one  of  the  cannon  poured  a  shower  of  grape  shot  into 
the  midst  of  the  wavering  square.  It  broke  and  ran, 
bearing  its  general  away  with  it,  and  leaving  the  ground 
cumbered  with  fallen  men  and  horses. 

The  Mexican  infantry  was  also  driven  back  at  every 
point,  and  retreated  rapidly  until  they  were  out  of  range. 
Under  the  cloud  of  smoke  wounded  men  crept  away. 
But  when  the  cloud  was  wholly  gone,  it  disclosed  those 
who  would  move  no  more,  lying  on  every  side.  The  de- 
fenders had  suffered  also.  Fannin  lay  upon  the  ground, 
while  two  of  his  men  bound  up  a  severe  wound  in  the 
thigh  that  he  had  sustained  from  a  Mexican  bullet. 
Many  others  had  been  wounded  and  some  had  been 
killed.  Most  alarming  of  all  was  the  announcement  that 
the  cannon  could  be  fired  only  a  few  times  more,  as  there 
was  no  water  for  the  sponges  when  they  became  heated 
and  clogged.  But  this  discouraged  only  the  leaders,  not 
the  recruits  themselves,  who  had  ultimate  faith  in  their 
rifles. 

Ned  felt  an  extreme  dizziness.     All  his  old  strength 


THE   SAD   SURRENDER  301 

had  not  yet  returned,  and  after  such  furious  action  and 
so  much  excitement  there  was  a  temporary  collapse.  He 
lay  back  on  the  grass,  closed  his  eyes,  and  waited  for  the 
weakness  to  pass.  He  heard  around  him  the  talk  and 
murmur  of  the  men,  and  the  sounds  of  new  preparations. 
He  heard  the  recruits  telling  one  another  that  they  had 
repulsed  four  Mexican  attacks,  and  that  they  could  re- 
pulse four  more.  Yet  the  amount  of  talking  was  not 
great.  The  fighting  had  been  too  severe  and  continuous 
to  encourage  volubility.  Most  of  them  reloaded  in  si- 
lence and  waited. 

Ned  felt  that  his  weakness  had  passed,  opened  his  eyes, 
and  sat  up  again.  He  saw  that  the  Mexicans  had  drawn 
a  circle  of  horsemen  about  them,  but  well  beyond  range. 
Behind  the  horsemen  their  army  waited.  Fannin's  men 
were  rimmed  in  by  steel,  and  Ned  believed  that  Urrea, 
after  his  great  losses  in  the  charges,  would  now  wait. 

Ned  stretched  himself  and  felt  his  muscles.  He  was 
strong  once  more  and  his  head  was  clear.  He  did  not  be- 
lieve that  the  weakness  and  dizziness  would  come  again. 
But  his  tongue  and  throat  were  dry,  and  one  of  the 
youths  who  had  stood  with  him  gave  him  a  drink  from 
his  canteen.  Ned  would  gladly  have  made  the  drink  a 
deep  one,  but  he  denied  himself,  and,  when  he  returned 
the  canteen,  its  supply  was  diminished  but  little.  He 
knew  better  than  the  giver  how  precious  the  water  would 
become. 

Ned  was  standing  at  the  edge  of  the  hollow,  and  his 
head  was  just  about  on  a  level  with  the  surrounding 
prairie.  After  his  look  at  the  Mexican  circle,  something 
whistled  by  his  ear.  It  was  an  unpleasant  sound  that  he 
knew  well,  one  marking  the  passage  of  a  bullet,  and  he 
dropped  down  instantly.  Then  he  cautiously  raised  him- 
self up  again,  and,  a  half  dozen  others  who  had  heard 


302  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

the  shot  did  the  same.  One  rose  a  little  higher  than  the 
rest  and  he  fell  back  with  a  cry,  a  bullet  in  his  shoulder. 

Ned  was  surprised  and  puzzled.  Whence  had  come 
these  shots?  There  was  the  line  of  Mexican  cavalry, 
well  out  of  range,  and,  beyond  the  horsemen,  were  the 
infantry.  He  could  see  nothing,  but  the  wounded  shoul- 
der was  positive  proof  that  some  enemy  was  near. 

There  was  a  third  crack,  and  a  man  fell  to  the  bottom 
of  the  hollow,  where  he  lay  still.  The  bullet  had  gone 
through  his  head.  Ned  saw  a  wreath  of  smoke  rising 
from  a  tiny  hillock,  a  hundred  yards  away,  and  then  he 
saw  lifted  for  only  a  moment  a  coppery  face  with  high 
cheek  bones  and  coarse  black  hair.  An  Indian !  No  one 
could  ever  mistake  that  face  for  a  white  man's.  Many 
more  shots  were  fired  and  he  caught  glimpses  of  other 
faces,  Indian  in  type  like  the  first. 

Every  hillock  or  other  inequality  of  the  earth  seemed 
to  spout  bullets,  which  were  now  striking  among  the 
Texans,  cooped  up  in  the  hollow,  killing  and  wounding. 
But  the  circle  of  Mexican  horsemen  did  not  stir. 

"What  are  they?"  called  Fannin,  who  was  lying  upon 
a  pallet,  suffering  greatly  from  his  wound. 

"Indians,"  replied  Ned. 

"Indians!"  exclaimed  Fannin  in  surprise.  "I  did  not 
know  that  there  were  any  in  this  part  of  the  country." 

"Nor  did  I,"  replied  Ned,  "but  they  are  surely  here, 
Colonel,  and  if  I  may  make  a  suggestion,  suppose  we 
pick  sharp-shooters  to  meet  them." 

"It  is  the  only  thing  to  do,"  said  Fannin,  and  immedi- 
ately the  best  men  with  the  rifle  were  placed  along  the 
edge  of  the  hollow.  It  was  full  time,  as  the  fire  of  the 
red  sharpshooters  was  creeping  closer,  and  was  doing 
much  harm.  They  were  Campeachy  Indians,  whom  the 
Mexicans  had  brought  with  them  from  their  far  country 


THE   SAD   SURRENDER  303 

and,  splendid  stalkers  and  skirmishers,  they  were  now 
proving  their  worth.  Better  marksmen  than  the  Mex- 
icans, naked  to  the  waist,  their  dark  faces  inflamed  with 
the  rage  to  kill,  they  wormed  themselves  forward  like 
snakes,  flattened  against  the  ground,  taking  advantage  of 
every  hillock  or  ridge,  and  finding  many  a  victim  in  the 
hollow.  Far  back,  the  Mexican  officers  sitting  on  their 
horses  watched  their  work  with  delighted  approval. 

Ned  was  not  a  sharpshooter  like  the  Panther  or  Davy 
Crockett,  but  he  was  a  sharpshooter  nevertheless,  and, 
driven  by  the  sternest  of  all  needs,  he  was  growing  better 
all  the  time.  He  saw  another  black  head  raised  for  a 
moment  above  a  hillock,  and  a  muzzle  thrust  forward, 
but  he  fired  first.  The  head  dropped  back,  but  the  rifle 
fell  from  the  arms  and  lay  across  the  hillock.  Ned  knew 
that  his  bullet  had  sped  true,  and  he  felt  a  savage  joy. 

The  other  sharpshooters  around  him  were  also  finding 
targets.  The  Indian  bullets  still  crashed  into  the  crowded 
ranks  in  the  hollow,  but  the  white  marksmen  picked  off 
one  after  another  in  the  grass.  The  moment  a  red  face 
showed  itself  a  bullet  that  rarely  missed  was  sent  toward 
it.  Here  was  no  indiscriminate  shooting.  No  man  pulled 
the  trigger  until  he  saw  his  target.  Ned  had  now  fired 
four  times,  and  he  knew  that  he  had  not  missed  once. 
The  consuming  rage  still  possessed  him,  but  it  was  for 
the  Mexicans  rather  than  the  Indians  against  whom  he 
was  sending  his  bullets.  Surely  they  were  numerous 
enough  to  fight  the  Texans.  They  ought  to  be  satisfied 
with  ten  to  one  in  their  favor,  without  bringing  Indians 
also  against  the  tiny  settlements !  The  fire  mounted  to 
his  brain,  and  he  looked  eagerly  for  a  fifth  head. 

It  was  a  singular  duel  between  invisible  antagonists. 
Never  was  an  entire  body  seen,  but  the  crackling  fire  and 
the  spurts  of  flame  and  smoke  were  incessant.  After  a 


304  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

while  the  line  of  fire  and  smoke  on  the  prairie  began  to 
retreat  slowly.  The  fire  of  the  white  sharpshooters  had 
grown  too  hot  and  the  Indians  were  creeping  away,  leav- 
ing their  dead  in  the  grass.  Presently  their  fire  ceased 
entirely  and  then  that  of  the  white  marksmen  ceased  also. 

No  sounds  came  from  the  Mexicans,  who  were  all  out 
of  range.  In  the  hollow  the  wounded,  who  now  num- 
bered one-fifth  of  the  whole,  suppressed  their  groans,  and 
their  comrades,  who  bound  up  their  hurts  or  gave  them 
water,  said  but  little.  Ned's  own  throat  had  become 
parched  again,  but  he  would  not  ask  for  another  drop  of 
water. 

The  Texans  had  used  oxen  to  drag  their  cannon  and 
wagons,  and  most  of  them  now  lay  dead  about  the  rim  of 
the  shallow  crater,  slain  by  the  Mexican  and  Indian  bul- 
lets. The  others  had  been  tied  to  the  wagons  to  keep 
them,  when  maddened  by  the  firing,  from  trampling 
down  the  Texans  themselves.  Now  they  still  shivered 
with  fear,  and  pulled  at  their  ropes.  Ned  felt  sorry  for 
the  poor  brutes.  Full  cause  had  they  for  fright. 

The  afternoon  was  waning,  and  he  ate  a  little  supper, 
followed  by  a  single  drink  of  water.  Every  man  received 
a  similar  drink  and  no  more  from  the  canteens.  The 
coming  twilight  brought  a  coolness  that  was  refreshing, 
but  the  Indians,  taking  advantage  of  the  dusk,  crept  for- 
ward, and  began  to  fire  again  at  the  Texans  cooped  up 
in  the  crater.  These  red  sharpshooters  had  the  advan- 
tage of  always  knowing  the  position  of  their  enemy, 
while  they  could  shift  their  own  as  they  saw  fit. 

The  Texan  marksmen,  worn  and  weary  though  they 
were,  returned  to  their  task.  They  could  not  see  the  In- 
dians, but  they  used  an  old  device,  often  successful  in 
border  warfare.  Whenever  an  Indian  fired  a  spurt  of 
smoke  shot  up  from  his  rifle's  muzzle.  A  Texan  in- 


THE   SAD   SURRENDER  305 

stantly  pulled  trigger  at  the  base  of  the  smoke,  and 
oftener  than  not  the  bullet  hit  his  dusky  foe. 

This  new  duel  in  the  dark  went  on  for  two  hours.  The 
Indians  could  fire  at  the  mass  in  the  hollow,  while  the 
Texans  steadily  picked  out  their  more  difficult  targets. 
The  frightened  oxen  uttered  terrified  lowings  and  the 
Indians,  now  and  then  aiming  at  the  sounds,  killed  or 
wounded  more  of  the  animals.  The  Texans  themselves 
slew  those  that  were  wounded,  unwilling  to  see  them 
suffer  so  much. 

The  skill  of  the  Texans  with  the  rifle  was  so  great  that 
gradually  they  prevailed  over  the  Indians  a  second  time 
in  the  trial  of  sharpshooting.  The  warriors  were  driven 
back  on  the  Mexican  cavalry,  and  abandoned  the  com- 
bat. The  night  was  much  darker  than  usual,  and  a  heavy 
fog,  rising  from  the  plain,  added  to  its  density  and  damp- 
ness. The  skies  were  invisible,  hidden  by  heavy  masses 
of  floating  clouds  and  fog. 

Ned  saw  a  circle  of  lights  spring  up  around  them. 
They  were  the  camp  fires  of  the  Mexican  army,  and  he 
knew  that  the  troops  were  comfortable  there  before  the 
blaze.  His  heart  filled  with  bitterness.  He  had  expected 
so  much  of  Fannin's  men,  and  Crockett  and  Bowie  be- 
fore him  had  expected  so  much!  Yet  here  they  were, 
beleaguered  as  the  Texans  had  been  beleaguered  in  the 
Alamo,  and  there  were  no  walls  behind  which  they  could 
fight.  It  seemed  to  Ned  that  the  hand  of  fate  itself  had 
resolved  to  strike  down  the  Texans.  He  knew  that  Ur- 
rea,  one  of  Santa  Anna's  ablest  and  most  tenacious  gen- 
erals, would  never  relax  the  watch  for  an  instant.  In 
the  darkness  he  could  hear  the  Mexican  sentinels  calling 
to  one  another :  "Sentinela  Alerte !" 

The  cold  damp  allayed  the  thirst  of  the  young  re- 
cruits, but  the  crater  was  the  scene  of  gloom.  They  did 


306  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

not  dare  to  light  a  fire,  knowing  it  would  draw  the  In- 
dian bullets  at  once,  or  perhaps  cannon  shots.  The 
wounded  in  their  blankets  lay  on  the  ground.  A  few  of 
the  unhurt  slept,  but  most  of  them  sat  in  silence  looking 
somberly  at  one  another. 

Fannin  lay  against  the  breech  of  one  of  the  cannon, 
blankets  having  been  folded  between  to  make  his  position 
easy.  His  wound  was  severe  and  he  was  suffering 
greatly,  but  he  uttered  no  complaint.  He  had  not  shown 
great  skill  or  judgment  as  a  leader,  but  he  was  cool  and 
undaunted  in  action.  Now  he  was  calling  a  council  to 
see  what  they  could  do  to  release  themselves  from  their 
desperate  case.  Officers  and  men  alike  attended  it  freely. 

"Boys,"  said  Fannin,  speaking  in  a  firm  voice  despite 
his  weakness  and  pain,  "we  are  trapped  here  in  this  hole 
in  the  prairie,  but  if  you  are  trapped  it  does  not  follow 
that  you  have  to  stay  trapped.  I  don't  seek  to  conceal 
anything  from  you.  Our  position  could  not  well  be 
worse.  We  have  cannon,  but  we  cannot  use  them  any 
longer  because  they  are  choked  and  clogged  from  former 
firing,  and  we  have  no  water  to  wash  them  out.  Shortly 
we  will  not  have  a  drop  to  drink.  But  you  are  brave,  and 
you  can  still  shoot.  I  know  that  we  can  break  through 
the  Mexican  lines  to-night  and  reach  the  Coleto,  the 
water  and  the  timber.  Shall  we  do  it?" 

Many  replied  yes,  but  then  a  voice  spoke  out  of  the 
darkness : 

"What  of  the  wounded,  Colonel?  We  have  sixty  men 
who  can't  move." 

There  was  an  instant's  silence,  and  then  a  hundred 
voices  said  in  the  darkness: 

"We'll  never  leave  them.  We'll  stay  here  and  fight 
again !" 

Ned  was  standing  with  those  nearest  Fannin,  and  al- 


THE   SAD   SURRENDER  307 

though  the  darkness  was  great  his  eyes  had  become  so 
used  to  it  that  he  could  see  the  pale  face  of  the  leader. 
Fannin's  eyes  lighted  up  at  the  words  of  his  men,  and  a 
little  color  came  into  his  cheeks. 

"You  speak  like  brave  men  rather  than  wise  men,"  he 
said,  "but  I  canndt  blame  you.  It  is  a  hard  thing  to 
leave  wounded  comrades  to  a  foe  such  as  the  one  who 
faces  us.  If  you  wish  to  stay  here,  then  I  say  stay.  Do 
you  wish  it?" 

"We  do!"  thundered  scores  of  voices,  and  Fannin, 
moving  a  little  to  make  himself  easier,  said  simply : 

"Then  fortify  as  best  you  can." 

They  brought  spades  and  shovels  from  the  wagons, 
and  began  to  throw  up  an  earthwork,  toiling  in  the  al- 
most pitchy  darkness.  They  reinforced  it  with  the  bodies 
of  the  slain  oxen,  and,  while  they  toiled,  they  saw  the 
fires  where  the  Mexican  officers  rested,  sure  that  their 
prey  could  not  break  from  the  trap.  The  Texans  worked 
on.  At  midnight  they  were  still  working,  and  when  they 
rested  a  while  there  was  neither  food  nor  drink  for  them. 
Every  drop  of  water  was  gone  long  since,  and  they  had 
eaten  their  last  food  at  supper.  They  could  have  neither 
food  nor  drink  nor  sleep. 

Ned  had  escaped  from  many  dangers,  but  it  is  truth 
that  this  time  he  felt  despair.  His  feeling  about  the  hand 
of  fate  striking  them  down  became  an  obsession.  What 
chance  had  men  without  an  ounce  of  food  or  a  drop  of 
water  to  withstand  a  siege? 

But  he  communicated  his  fears  to  no  one.  Two  or 
three  hours  before  day,  he  became  so  sore  and  weary 
from  work  with  the  spade  that  he  crawled  into  one  of 
the  half-wrecked  wagons,  and  tried  to  go  to  sleep.  But 
his  nerves  were  drawn  to  too  high  a  pitch.  After  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour's  vain  effort  he  got  out  of  the  wagon  and 


308  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

stood  by  the  wheel.  The  sky  was  still  black,  and  the 
heavy  clouds  of  fog  and  vapor  rolled  steadily  past  him. 
It  seemed  to  him  that  everything  was  closing  on  them, 
even  the  skies,  and  the  air  was  so  heavy  that  he  found  it 
hard  to  breathe. 

He  would  have  returned  to  work,  but  he  knew  that  he 
would  overtask  his  worn  frame,  and  he  wanted  to  be  in 
condition  for  the  battle  that  he  believed  was  coming  with 
the  morrow.  They  had  not  tried  to  cut  out  at  night,  then 
they  must  do  it  by  day,  or  die  where  they  stood  of  thirst. 

He  sat  down  at  last  on  the  ground,  and  leaned  against 
a  wagon  wheel,  drawing  a  blanket  over  his  shoulders  for 
warmth.  He  found  that  he  could  rest  better  here  than 
inside  the  wagon,  and,  in  an  hour  or  two,  he  dozed  a 
little,  but  when  he  awoke  the  night  was  still  very  dark. 

The  men  finished  their  toil  at  the  breastwork  just  be- 
fore day  and  then,  laying  aside  their  shovels  and  picks 
and  taking  up  their  rifles,  they  watched  for  the  first  shoot 
of  dawn  in  the  east.  It  came  presently,  disclosing  the 
long  lines  of  Mexican  sentinels  and  behind  them  the 
army.  The  enemy  was  on  watch  and  soon  a  terrible 
rumor,  that  was  true,  spread  among  the  Texans.  They 
were  caught  like  the  men  of  Refugio.  Only  three  or 
four  rounds  of  ammunition  were  left.  It  was  bad 
enough  to  be  without  food  and  water,  but  without  pow- 
der and  bullets  either  they  were  no  army.  Now 
Ned  knew  that  his  presages  were  true.  They  were 
doomed. 

The  sun  rose  higher,  pouring  a  golden  light  upon  the 
plain.  The  distance  to  the  Mexican  lines  was  in  appear- 
ance reduced  half  by  the  vivid  light.  Then  Ned  of  the 
keen  eye  saw  a  dark  line  far  off  to  their  right  on  the 
prairie.  He  watched  them  a  little,  and  saw  that  they 
were  Mexican  cavalry,  coming  to  swell  still  further  Ur- 


THE   SAD   SURRENDER  309 

rea's  swollen  force.  He  also  saw  two  cannon  drawn  by 
mules. 

Ned  pointed  out  the  column  to  Wallace,  a  Major 
among  the  Texans,  and  then  Wallace  used  a  pair  of 
glasses. 

"You  are  right,"  he  said.  "They  are  Mexicans  and 
they  have  two  pieces  of  artillery.  Oh,  if  we  could  only 
use  our  own  guns!" 

But  the  Texan  cannon  stood  as  worthless  as  if  they 
had  been  spiked,  and  the  Texans  were  compelled  to  re- 
main silent  and  helpless,  while  the  Mexicans  put  their 
new  guns  in  position,  and  took  aim  with  deliberation,  as 
if  all  the  time  in  the  world  was  theirs.  Ned  tried  to  con- 
sole himself  with  the  reflection  that  Mexican  gunners 
were  not  often  accurate,  but  the  first  thud  and  puff  of 
smoke  showed  that  these  were  better  than  usual. 

A  shower  of  grape  shot  coming  from  a  superior  height 
swept  their  camp,  killing  two  or  three  of  the  remaining 
oxen,  smashing  the  wagons  to  pieces,-  and  wounding 
more  men.  Another  shower  from  the  second  gun  struck 
among  them  with  like  result,  and  the  case  of  the  Texans 
grew  more  desperate. 

They  tried  to  reach  the  gunners  with  their  rifles,  but 
the  range  was  too  great,  and,  after  having  thrown  away 
nearly  all  the  ammunition  that  was  left,  they  were  forced 
to  stand  idly  and  receive  the  Mexican  fire.  The  Mex- 
icans must  have  divined  the  Texan  situation,  as  a  great 
cheer  rose  from  their  lines.  It  became  evident  to  Ned 
that  the  shallow  crater  would  soon  be  raked  through  and 
through  by  the  Mexican  artillery. 

Fannin,  lying  upon  his  pallet,  was  already  calling  a 
council  of  his  officers,  to  which  anyone  who  chose  might 
listen.  The  wounded  leader  was  still  resolute  for  battle, 
saying  that  they  might  yet  cut  their  way  through  the 


3io  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

Mexicans.  But  the  others  had  no  hope.  They  pointed  to 
the  increased  numbers  of  the  foe,  and  the  exhausted  con- 
dition of  their  own  men,  who  had  not  now  tasted  food 
or  water  for  many  hours.  If  Urrea  offered  them  good 
terms  they  must  surrender. 

Ned  stood  on  one  side,  saying  nothing,  although  his 
experience  was  perhaps  greater  than  that  of  anybody 
else  present.  But  he  had  seen  the  inevitable.  Either  they 
must  yield  to  the  Mexicans  or  rush  boldly  on  the  foe  and 
die  to  the  last  man,  as  the  defenders  of  the  Alamo  had 
done.  Yet  Fannin  still  opposed. 

"We  whipped  them  off  yesterday,  and  we  can  do  it 
again  to-day,"  he  said. 

But  he  was  willing  to  leave  it  to  the  others,  and,  as 
they  agreed  that  there  was  no  chance  to  hold  out  any 
longer,  they  decided  to  parley  with  the  Mexicans.  A 
white  cloth  was  hoisted  on  the  muzzle  of  a  rifle.  The 
Mexican  fire  ceased,  and  they  saw  officers  coming  for- 
ward. The  sight  was  almost  more  than  Ned  could  stand. 
Here  was  a  new  defeat,  a  new  tragedy. 

"I  shall  meet  them  myself,"  said  Fannin,  as  he  rose 
painfully.  "You  come  with  me,  Major  Wallace,  but  we 
do  not  speak  Spanish,  either  of  us." 

His  eye  roved  over  the  recruits,  and  caught  Ned's 
glance. 

"I  have  been  much  in  Mexico,"  said  Ned.  "I  speak 
Spanish  and  also  several  Mexican  variations  of  it." 

"Good,"  said  Fannin,  "then  you  come  with  us,  and  you, 
too,  Durangue.  We  may  need  you  both." 

The  two  officers  and  the  two  interpreters  walked  out 
of  the  hollow,  passing  the  barricade  of  earth  and  dead 
oxen  that  had  been  of  no  avail,  and  saw  four  Mexican 
officers  coming  toward  them.  A  silk  handkerchief  about 
|he  head  of  one  was  hidden  partly  by  a  cocked  hat,  and 


THE   SAD   SURRENDER  311 

Ned  at  once  saw  that  it  was  Urrea,  the  younger.  His 
heart  swelled  with  rage  and  mortification.  It  was  an- 
other grievous  pang  that  Urrea  should  be  there  to  exult. 

They  met  about  midway  between  the  camps,  and  Ur- 
rea stepped  forward.  He  gave  Ned  only  a  single  glance, 
but  it  made  the  boy  writhe  inwardly.  The  young  Mex- 
ican was  now  all  smoothness  and  courtesy,  although  Ned 
was  sure  that  the  cruel  Spanish  strain  was  there,  hidden 
under  his  smiling  air,  but  ready  to  flame  up  at  provoca- 
tion. 

"I  salute  you  as  gallant  foes,"  said  Urrea  in  good  Eng- 
lish, taking  off  his  hat.  "My  comrades  and  associates 
here  are  Colonel  Salas,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Holzinger 
and  Lieutenant  Gonzales,  who  are  sent  with  myself  by 
my  uncle,  General  Urrea,  to  inquire  into  the  meaning  of 
the  white  flag  that  you  have  hoisted." 

Each  of  the  Mexican  officers,  as  his  name  was  called, 
took  off  his  hat  and  bowed. 

"I  am  Colonel  Fannin,"  began  the  Texan  leader. 

All  four  Mexicans  instantly  bowed  again. 

"And  you  are  wounded,"  said  Urrea.  "It  shows  the 
valor  of  the  Texans,  when  their  commander  himself 
shares  their  utmost  dangers." 

Fannin  smiled  rather  grimly. 

"There  was  no  way  to  escape  the  dangers,"  he  said. 
"Your  fire  was  heavy." 

Urrea  smiled  in  a  gratified  way,  and  then  waited  po- 
litely for  Fannin  to  continue.  The  leader  at  once  began 
to  treat  with  the  Mexican  officers.  Ned,  Durangue  and 
Urrea  translated,  and  the  boy  did  not  miss  a  word  that 
was  said.  It  was  agreed  that  the  Texans  should  sur- 
render, and  that  they  should  be  treated  as  prisoners  of 
war  in  the  manner  of  civilized  nations.  Prompt  and 
special  attention  would  be  given  to  the  wounded. 


3i2  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

Then  the  Mexican  officers  saluted  courteously  and 
went  back  toward  their  own  ranks.  It  had  all  seemed 
very  easy,  very  simple,  but  Ned  did  not  like  this  velvet 
smoothness,  this  willingness  of  the  Mexicans  to  agree  to 
the  most  generous  terms.  Fannin,  however,  was  elated. 
He  had  won  no  victories,  but  he  had  saved  the  lives  of 
his  men. 

Their  own  return  was  slow,  as  Fannin's  wound  op- 
pressed him,  but  when  they  reached  their  camp,  and  told 
what  had  been  done,  the  recruits  began  silently  to  stack 
their  arms,  half  in  gladness  and  half  in  sorrow.  More 
Mexican  officers  came  presently  and  still  treated  them 
with  that  same  smooth  and  silky  courtesy.  Colonel  Hol- 
zinger  received  the  surrendered  arms,  and,  as  he  did  so, 
he  said  to  Ned,  who  stood  by : 

"Well,  it's  liberty  and  home  in  ten  days  for  all  you 
gentlemen." 

"I  hope  so,"  said  Ned  gravely,  although  he  had  no 
home. 

The  Mexican  courtesy  went  so  far  that  the  arms  of 
the  officers  were  nailed  up  in  a  box,  with  the  statement 
that  they  would  be  given  back  to  them  as  soon  as  they 
were  released. 

"I  am  sorry  that  we  cannot  consider  you  an  officer, 
Senor  Fulton,"  said  young  Urrea  to  Ned,  "then  you 
would  get  back  your  rifle  and  pistols." 

"You  need  not  bother  about  it,"  said  Ned.  "I  am  will- 
ing to  let  them  go.  I  dare  say  that  when  I  need  them  I 
can  get  others." 

"Then  you  still  mean  to  fight  against  us?"  said  Urrea. 

"If  I  can  get  an  exchange,  and  I  suppose  I  can." 

"You  are  not  content  even  yet !  You  saw  what  hap- 
pened at  the  Alamo.  You  survived  that  by  a  miracle,  but 
where  are  all  your  companions  in  that  siege?  Dead. 


THE   SAD    SURRENDER  313 

You  escaped  and  joined  the  Texans  at  Refugio.  Where 
are  the  defenders  of  Refugio?  In  the  swamps  of  the 
Guadalupe,  and  we  have  only  to  put  forth  our  hands  and 
take  them.  You  escaped  from  Refugio  to  find  Fannin 
and  his  men.  Where  are  Fannin  and  his  men  now? 
Prisoners  in  our  hands.  How  many  of  the  Texans  are 
left?  There  is  no  place  in  all  Texas  so  far  that  the  arm 
of  the  great  Santa  Anna  cannot  reach  it." 

Ned  was  stung  by  his  taunts  and  replied : 

"You  forget  Houston." 

Urrea  laughed. 

"Houston!  Houston!"  he  said.  "He  does  nothing. 
And  your  so-called  government  does  nothing,  but  talk. 
They,  too,  will  soon  feel  the  might  and  wrath  of  Santa 
Anna.  Nothing  can  save  them  but  a  swift  flight  to  the 
States." 

"We  shall  see,"  said  Ned,  although  at  that  moment  he 
was  far  from  confident.  "Remember  how  our  men  died 
at  the  Alamo.  The  Texans  cannot  be  conquered." 

Urrea  said  nothing  further,  as  if  he  would  not  exult 
over  a  fallen  enemy,  although  Ned  knew  that  he  was 
swelling  with  triumph,  and  went  back  to  his  uncle's 
camp.  The  Texan  arms  were  taken  ahead  on  some 
wagons,  and  then  the  dreary  procession  of  the  Texans 
themselves  marched  out  of  the  hollow.  They  were  all 
on  foot  and  without  arms.  Those  hurt  worst  were  sus- 
tained by  their  comrades,  and,  thus,  they  marched  into 
the  Mexican  camp,  where  they  expected  food  and  water, 
but  General  Urrea  directed  them  to  walk  on  to  Goliad. 

Fainting  from  hunger  and  thirst,  they  took  up  their 
march  again.  The  Mexican  cavalry  rode  on  either  side 
of  them,  and  many  of  the  horsemen  were  not  above  utter- 
ing taunts  which,  fortunately,  few  of  the  prisoners  could 
understand.  Young  Urrea  was  in  command  of  this 


314  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

guard  and  he  rode  near  the  head  of  the  column  where 
Ned  could  see  him.  Now  and  then  a  Mexican  vaquero 
cracked  his  long  whip,  and  every  report  made  Ned  start 
and  redden  with  anger. 

Some  of  the  recruits  were  cheerful,  talked  of  being 
exchanged  and  of  fighting  again  in  the  war,  but  the  great 
majority  marched  in  silence  and  gloom.  They  felt  that 
they  had  wasted  themselves.  They  had  marched  into  a 
trap,  which  the  Mexicans  were  able  to  close  upon  them 
before  they  could  strike  a  single  blow  for  Texas.  Now 
they  were  herded  like  cattle  being  driven  to  a  stable. 

They  reached  the  town  of  Goliad,  and  the  Mexican 
women  and  children,  rejoicing  in  the  triumph  of  their 
men,  came  out  to  meet  them,  uttering  many  shrill  cries 
as  they  chattered  to  one  another.  Ned  understood  them, 
but  he  was  glad  that  the  others  did  not.  Young  Urrea 
rode  up  by  the  side  of  him  and  said: 

"Well,  you  and  your  comrades  have  now  arrived  at 
our  good  town  of  Goliad.  You  should  be  glad  that  your 
lives  have  been  spared,  because  you  are  rebels  and  you 
deserve  death.  But  great  is  the  magnanimity  of  our 
most  illustrious  president  and  general,  Antonio  Lopez  de 
Santa  Anna." 

Ned  looked  up  quickly.  He  thought  he  had  caught  a 
note  of  cruelty  in  that  soft,  measured  voice.  He  never 
trusted  Urrea,  nor  did  he  ever  trust  Santa  Anna. 

"I  believe  it  is  customary  in  civilized  warfare  to  spare 
the  lives  of  prisoners,"  he  said. 

"But  rebels  are  rebels,  and  freebooters  are  freeboot- 
ers," said  Urrea. 

It  seemed  to  Ned  that  the  young  Mexican  wanted  to 
draw  him  into  some  sort  of  controversy,  and  he  refused 
to  continue.  He  felt  that  there  was  something  sinister 
about  Urrea,  or  that  he  represented  something  sinister, 


THE   SAD   SURRENDER  315 

and  he  resolved  to  watch  rather  than  talk.  So,  gazing 
straight  ahead,  he  walked  on  in  silence.  Urrea,  waiting 
for  an  answer,  and  seeing  that  he  would  get  none,  smiled 
ironically,  and,  turning  his  horse,  galloped  away. 

The  prisoners  were  marched  through  the  town,  and  to 
the  church.  All  the  old  Spanish  or  Mexican  towns  of 
Texas  contained  great  stone  churches,  which  were  also 
fortresses,  and  Goliad  was  no  exception.  This  was  of 
limestone,  vaulted  and  somber,  and  it  was  choked  to 
overflowing  with  the  prisoners,  who  could  not  get  half 
enough  air  through  the  narrow  windows.  The  surgeons, 
for  lack  of  bandages  and  medicines,  could  not  attend  the 
wounded,  who  lay  upon  the  floor. 

Where  were  the  fair  Mexican  promises,  in  accordance 
with  which  they  had  yielded?  Many  of  the  unwounded 
became  so  weak  from  hunger  and  thirst  that  they,  too, 
were  forced  to  lie  upon  the  floor.  Ned  had  reserves  of 
strength  that  came  to  his  aid.  He  leaned  against  the 
wall  and  breathed  the  foul  air  of  the  old  church,  which 
was  breathed  over  and  over  again  by  nearly  four  hundred 
men. 

The  heavy  doors  were  unbarred  an  hour  later,  and 
food  and  water  were  brought  to  them,  but  how  little! 
There  was  a  single  drink  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of 
meat  for  each  man.  It  was  but  a  taste  after  their  long 
fast,  and  soon  they  were  as  hungry  and  thirsty  as  ever. 
It  was  a  hideous  night.  There  was  not  room  for  them 
all  to  sleep  on  the  floor,  and  Ned  dozed  for  a  while  lean- 
ing against  the  wall. 

Food  and  water  were  brought  to  them  in  the  same 
small  quantities  in  the  morning,  but  there  was  no  word 
from  the  Mexicans  concerning  the  promises  of  good 
treatment  and  parole  that  had  been  made  when  they  sur- 
rendered. 


316  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

Ned  was  surprised  at  nothing.  He  knew  that  Santa 
Anna  dominated  all  Mexico,  and  he  knew  Santa  Anna. 
Promises  were  nothing  to  him,  if  it  served  him  better  to 
break  them.  Fannin  demanded  writing  materials  and 
wrote  a  note  to  General  Urrea  protesting  strongly 
against  the  violation  of  faith.  But  General  Urrea  was 
gone  after  Ward's  men,  who  were  surrounded  in  the 
marshes  of  the  Guadalupe,  leaving  Colonel  Portilla  in 
command.  Portilla,  meanwhile,  was  dominated  by  the 
younger  Urrea,  a  man  of  force  and  audacity,  whom  he 
knew  to  be  high  in  the  favor  of  Santa  Anna. 

Captain  Urrea  did  not  believe  in  showing  any  kindness 
to  the  men  imprisoned  in  the  church.  They  were  rebels 
or  filibusters.  They  had  killed  many  good  Mexicans,  and 
they  should  be  made  to  suffer  for  it.  No  answer  was 
returned  to  Fannin's  letter,  and  the  men  in  the  somber 
old  limestone  building  became  depressed  and  gloomy. 

Ned,  who  was  surprised  at  nothing,  also  hoped  for 
nothing,  but  he  sought  to  preserve  his  strength,  believing 
that  he  would  soon  have  full  need  of  it.  He  stretched 
and  tensed  his  muscles  in  order  to  keep  the  stiffness  from 
coming  into  them,  and  he  slept  whenever  he  could. 

Two  or  three  days  passed  and  the  Mexican  officer, 
Holzinger,  came  for  Fannin,  who  was  now  recovered 
largely  from  his  wound.  The  two  went  away  to  Copano 
on  the  coast  to  look  for  a  vessel  that  would  carry  the 
prisoners  to  New  Orleans.  They  returned  soon,  and 
Fannin  and  all  his  men  were  in  high  hopes. 

Meanwhile  a  new  group  of  prisoners  were  thrust  into 
the  church.  They  were  the  survivors  of  Ward's  men, 
whom  General  Urrea  had  taken  in  the  swamps  of  the 
Guadalupe.  Then  came  another  squad,  eighty-two  young 
Tennesseeans,  who,  reaching  Texas  by  water,  had  been 
surrounded  and  captured  by  an  overwhelming  force  the 


THE   SAD   SURRENDER  317 

moment  they  landed.  A  piece  of  white  cloth  had  been 
tied  around  the  arms  of  every  one  of  these  men  to  dis- 
tinguish them  from  the  others. 

But  they  were  very  cheerful  over  the  news  that  Fannin 
had  brought.  There  was  much  bustle  among  the  Mex- 
icans, and  it  seemed  to  be  the  bustle  of  preparation.  The 
prisoners  expected  confidently  that  within  another  day 
they  would  be  on  the  march  to  the  coast  and  to  freedom. 

There  was  a  singular  scene  in  the  old  church.  A  boy 
from  Kentucky  had  brought  a  flute  with  him  which  the 
Mexicans  had  permitted  him  to  retain.  Now  sitting  in 
Turkish  fashion  in  the  center  of  the  floor  he  was  playing : 
"Home,  Sweet  Home."  Either  he  played  well  or  their 
situation  deepened  to  an  extraordinary  pitch  the  haunting 
quality  of  the  air. 

Despite  every  effort  tears  rose  to  Ned's  eyes.  Others 
made  no  attempt  to  hide  theirs.  Why  should  they  ?  They 
were  but  inexperienced  boys  in  prison,  many  hundreds  of 
miles  from  the  places  where  they  were  born. 

They  sang  to  the  air  of  the  flute,  and  all  through  the 
evening  they  sang  that  and  other  songs.  They  were  hap- 
pier than  they  had  been  in  many  days.  Ned  alone  was 
gloomy  and  silent.  Knowing  that  Santa  Anna  was  now 
the  fountain  head  of  all  things  Mexican  he  could  not  yet 
trust. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  BLACK  TRAGEDY 

WHILE  the  raw  recruits  crowded  one  another  for 
breath  in  the  dark  vaulted  church  of  Goliad,  a 
little  swarthy  man  in  a  gorgeous  uniform  sat 
dining  luxuriously  in  the  best  house  in  San  Antonio,  far 
to  the  northwest.  Some  of  his  favorite  generals  were 
around  him,  Castrillon,  Gaona,  Almonte,  and  the  Italian 
Filisola. 

The  "Napoleon  of  the  West"  was  happy.  His  stay  in 
San  Antonio,  after  the  fall  of  the  Alamo,  had  been  a  con- 
tinuous triumph,  with  much  feasting  and  drinking  and 
music.  He  had  received  messages  from  the  City  of  Mex- 
ico, his  capital,  and  all  things  there  went  well.  Every- 
body obeyed  his  orders,  although  they  were  sent  from  the 
distant  and  barbarous  land  of  Texas. 

While  they  dined,  a  herald,  a  Mexican  cavalrymen  who 
had  ridden  far,  stopped  at  the  door  and  handed  a  letter 
to  the  officer  on  guard : 

"For  the  most  illustrious  president,  General  Santa 
Anna,"  he  said. 

The  officer  went  within  and,  waiting  an  opportune  mo- 
ment, handed  the  letter  to  Santa  Anna. 

"The  messenger  came  from  General  Urrea,"  he  said. 

Santa  Anna,  with  a  word  of  apology,  because  he  loved 
the  surface  forms  of  politeness,  opened  and  read  the  let- 
ter. Then  he  uttered  a  cry  of  joy. 

"We  have  all  the  Texans  now !"  he  exclaimed.  "Gen- 
3i8 


THE   BLACK   TRAGEDY  319 

eral  Urrea  has  taken  Fannin  and  his  men.  There  is 
nothing  left  in  Texas  to  oppose  us." 

The  generals  uttered  joyful  shouts  and  drank  again  to 
their  illustrious  leader.  The  banquet  lasted  long,  but 
after  it  was  over  Santa  Anna  withdrew  to  his  own  room 
and  dictated  a  letter  to  his  secretary.  It  was  sealed  care- 
fully and  given  to  a  chosen  messenger,  a  heavy-browed 
and  powerful  Mexican. 

"Ride  fast  to  Goliad  with  that  letter,"  said  Santa  Anna. 

The  messenger  departed  at  once.  He  rode  a  strong 
horse,  and  he  would  find  fresh  mounts  on  the  way.  He 
obeyed  the  orders  of  the  general  literally.  He  soon  left 
San  Antonio  far  behind,  and  went  on  hour  after  hour, 
straight  toward  Goliad.  Now  and  then  he  felt  the  inside 
of  his  tunic  where  the  letter  lay,  but  it  was  always  safe. 
Three  or  four  times  he  met  parties  of  Mexicans,  and  he 
replied  briefly  to  their  questions  that  he  rode  on  the  busi- 
ness of  the  most  illustrious  president,  General  Antonio 
Lopez  de  Santa  Anna.  Once,  on  the  second  day,  he  saw 
two  horsemen,  whom  his  trained  eyes  told  him  to  be 
Texan  hunters. 

The  messenger  sheered  off  into  a  patch  of  timber,  and 
waited  until  the  hunters  passed  out  of  sight.  Had  they 
seen  him  much  might  have  changed,  a  terrible  story 
might  have  been  different,  but,  at  that  period,  the  stars  in 
their  courses  were  working  against  the  Texans.  Every 
accident,  every  chance,  turned  to  the  advantage  of  their 
enemies. 

The  messenger  emerged  from  the  timber,  and  went  on 
at  the  same  steady  gait  toward  Goliad.  He  was  riding 
his  fourth  horse  now,  having  changed  every  time  he  met 
a  Mexican  detachment,  and  the  animal  was  fresh  and 
strong.  The  rider  himself,  powerful  by  nature  and 
trained  to  a  life  in  the  saddle,  felt  no  weariness. 


320  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

The  scattered  houses  of  Goliad  came  into  view,  by  and 
by,  and  the  messenger,  giving  the  magic  name  of  Santa 
Anna,  rode  through  the  lines.  He  inquired  for  General 
Urrea,  the  commander,  but  the  general  having  gone  to 
Victoria  he  was  directed  to  Colonel  Portilla,  who  com- 
manded in  his  absence.  He  found  Portilla  sitting  in  a 
patio  with  Colonel  Garay,  the  younger  Urrea  and  several 
other  Mexican  officers.  The  messenger  saluted,  drew  the 
letter  from  his  pocket  and  presented  it  to  Colonel  Por- 
tilla. 

"From  the  most  illustrious  president  and  commander- 
in-chief,  General  Santa  Anna,"  he  said. 

Portilla  broke  the  seal  and  read.  As  his  eyes  went 
down  the  lines,  a  deep  flush  crept  through  the  tan  of  his 
face,  and  the  paper  trembled  in  his  hands. 

"I  cannot  do  it!  I  cannot  do  it!  Read,  gentlemen, 
read !"  he  cried. 

Urrea  took  the  extended  letter  from  his  hand  and  read 
it  aloud.  Neither  his  voice  nor  his  hand  quivered  as  he 
read,  and  when  he  finished  he  said  in  a  firm  voice : 

"The  orders  of  the  president  must  be  obeyed,  and  you, 
Colonel  Portilla,  must  carry  them  out  at  once.  All  of  us 
know  that  General  Santa  Anna  does  not  wish  to  repeat 
his  commands,  and  that  his  wrath  is  terrible." 

"It  is  so !  It  is  so !"  said  Portilla  hopelessly,  and  Garay 
also  spoke  words  of  grief.  But  Urrea,  although  younger 
and  lower  in  rank,  was  firm,  even  exultant.  His  aggres- 
sive will  dominated  the  others,  and  his  assertion  that  the 
wrath  of  Santa  Anna  was  terrible  was  no  vain  warning. 
The  others  began  to  look  upon  him  as  Santa  Anna's  mes- 
senger, the  guardian  of  his  thunderbolts,  and  they  did  not 
dare  to  meet  his  eye. 

"We  will  go  outside  and  talk  about  it,"  said  Portilla, 
still  much  agitated. 


THE   BLACK   TRAGEDY  321 

When  they  left  the  patio  their  steps  inevitably  took 
them  toward  the  church.  The  high  note  of  a  flute  play- 
ing a  wailing  air  came  to  them  through  the  narrow  win- 
dows. It  was  "Home,  Sweet  Home,"  played  by  a  boy  in 
prison.  The  Mexicans  did  not  know  the  song,  but  its 
solemn  note  was  not  without  an  appeal  to  Portilla  and 
Garay.  Portilla  wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  face. 

"Come  away/'  he  said.  "We  can  talk  better  else- 
where." 

They  turned  in  the  opposite  direction,  but  Urrea  did 
not  remain  with  them  long.  Making  some  excuse  for 
leaving  them  he  went  rapidly  to  the  church.  He  knew 
that  his  rank  and  authority  would  secure  him  prompt  ad- 
mission from  the  guards,  but  he  stopped,  a  moment,  at 
the  door.  The  prisoners  were  now  singing.  Three  or 
four  hundred  voices  were  joined  in  some  hymn  of  the 
north  that  he  did  not  know,  some  song  of  the  English- 
speaking  people.  The  great  volume  of  sound  floated  out, 
and  was  heard  everywhere  in  the  little  town. 

Urrea  was  not  moved  at  all.  "Rebels  and  filibusters !" 
he  said  in  Spanish,  under  his  breath,  but  fiercely.  Then 
he  ordered  the  door  unbarred,  and  went  in.  Two  sol- 
diers went  with  him  and  held  torches  aloft. 

The  singing  ceased  when  Urrea  entered.  Ned  was 
standing  against  the  wall,  and  the  young  Mexican  in- 
stinctively turned  toward  him,  because  he  knew*  Ned  best. 
There  was  much  of  the  tiger  cat  in  Urrea.  He  had  the 
same  feline  grace  and  power,  the  same  smoothness  and 
quiet  before  going  into  action. 

"You  sing,  you  are  happy,"  he  said  to  Ned,  although 
he  meant  them  all.  "It  is  well.  You  of  the  north  bear 
misfortune  well." 

"We  do  the  best  we  can  wherever  we  are,"  replied 
young  Fulton,  dryly. 


322  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

"The  saints  themselves  could  do  no  more,"  said  the 
Mexican. 

Urrea  was  speaking  in  English,  and  his  manner  was 
so  friendly  and  gentle  that  the  recruits  crowded  around 
him. 

"When  are  we  to  be  released?  When  do  we  get  our 
parole?"  they  asked. 

Urrea  smiled  and  held  up  his  hands.  He  was  all  sym- 
pathy and  generosity. 

"All  your  troubles  will  be  over  to-morrow,"  he  said, 
"and  it  is  fitting  that  they  should  end  on  such  a  day,  be- 
cause it  is  Palm  Sunday." 

The  recruits  gave  a  cheer. 

"Do  we  go  down  to  the  coast?"  one  of  them  asked. 

Urrea  smiled  with  his  whole  face,  and  with  the  gesture 
of  his  hands,  too.  But  he  shook  his  head. 

"I  can  say  no  more,"  he  replied.  "I  am  not  the  gen- 
eral, and  perhaps  I  have  said  too  much  already,  but  be 
assured,  brave  foes,  that  to-morrow  will  end  your  trou- 
bles. You  fought  us  gallantly.  You  fought  against  great 
odds,  and  you  have  my  sympathy." 

Ned  had  said  no  more.  He  was  looking  at  Urrea  in- 
tently. He  was  trying,  with  all  the  power  of  his  own 
mind  and  soul,  to  read  this  man's  mind  and  soul.  He  was 
trying  to  pierce  through  that  Spanish  armor  of  smiles 
and  gestures  and  silky  tones  and  see  what  lay  beneath. 
He  sought  to  read  the  real  meaning  of  all  these  polite 
phrases.  His  long  and  powerful  gaze  finally  drew  Ur- 
rea's  own. 

A  little  look  of  fear  crept  into  Urrea's  eyes,  as  the  two 
antagonists  stared  at  each  other.  But  it  was  only  for  a 
few  minutes.  Then  he  looked  away  with  a  shrug  and  a 
laugh. 

"Now  I  leave  you,"  he  said  to  the  men,  "and  may  the 


THE   BLACK   TRAGEDY  323 

saints  bring  you  much  happiness.  Do  not  forget  that  to- 
morrow is  Palm  Sunday,  and  that  it  is  a  good  omen." 

He  went  out,  taking  the  torchbearers  with  him,  and  al- 
though it  was  dark  again  in  the  vaulted  church,  the  re- 
cruits sang  a  long  time.  Ned  sat  down  with  his  back 
against  the  wall,  and  he  did  not  share  in  the  general  joy. 
He  remembered  the  look  that  had  come  into  Urrea's 
eyes,  when  they  met  the  accusing  gaze  of  his  own. 

After  a  while  the  singing  ceased,  and  one  by  one  the 
recruits  fell  asleep  in  the  close,  stifling  air  of  the  place. 
Ned  dozed  an  hour  or  two,  but  awoke  before  dawn.  He 
was  oppressed  by  a  deep  and  unaccountable  gloom,  and 
it  was  not  lifted  when,  in  the  dusk,  he  looked  at  the  rows 
of  sleeping  figures,  crowded  so  close  together  that  no  part 
of  the  floor  was  visible. 

He  saw  the  first  light  appear  in  the  east,  and  then 
spread  like  the  slow  opening  of  a  fan.  The  recruits  be- 
gan to  awaken  by  and  by,  and  their  good  spirits  had 
carried  over  from  the  night  before.  Soon  the  old  church 
was  filled  with  talk  and  laughter. 

The  day  came  fully,  and  then  the  guards  brought  food 
and  water,  not  enough  to  satisfy  hunger  and  thirst,  but 
enough  to  keep  them  alive.  They  did  not  complain,  as 
they  would  soon  be  free  men,  able  to  obtain  all  that  they 
wanted.  Presently  the  doors  of  the  church  were  thrown 
open,  and  the  officers  and  many  soldiers  appeared.  Young 
Urrea  was  foremost  among  the  officers,  and,  in  a  loud 
voice,  he  ordered  all  the  prisoners  to  come  out,  an  order 
that  they  obeyed  with  alacrity  and  pleasure. 

Ned  marched  forth  with  the  rest,  although  he  did  not 
speak  to  any  of  those  about  him.  He  looked  first  at  Ur- 
rea, whose  manner  was  polite  and  smiling,  as  it  had  been 
the  night  before,  and  then  his  glance  shifted  to  the  other 
officers,  older  men,  and  evidently  higher  in  rank.  He 


324  THE  TEXAN    SCOUTS 

saw  that  two,  Colonels  by  their  uniforms,  were  quite  pale, 
and  that  one  of  them  was  biting  savagely  at  his  mus- 
tache. It  all  seemed  sinister  to  Ned.  Why  was  Urrea 
doing  everything,  and  why  were  his  superiors  standing 
by,  evidently  a  prey  to  some  great  nervous  strain? 

The  recruits,  under  Urrea's  orders,  were  formed  into 
three  columns.  One  was  to  take  the  road  toward  San 
Antonio,  the  second  would  march  toward  San  Patrick), 
and  the  third  to  Copano.  The  three  columns  shouted 
good-by,  but  the  recruits  assured  one  another  that  they 
would  soon  meet  again.  Urrea  told  one  column  that  it 
was  going  to  be  sent  home  immediately,  another  that  it 
was  going  outside  the  town,  where  it  was  to  help  in  kill- 
ing cattle  for  beef  which  they  would  eat,  and  the  third 
that  it  was  leaving  the  church  in  a  hurry  to  make  room 
for  Santa  Anna's  own  troops,  who  would  reach  the  town 
in  an  hour. 

Ned  was  in  the  largest  column,  near  the  head  of  it,  and 
he  watched  everything  with  a  wary  eye.  He  noticed  that 
the  Mexican  colonels  still  left  all  the  arrangements  to 
Urrea,  and  that  they  remained  extremely  nervous.  Their 
hands  were  never  quiet  for  a  moment. 

The  column  filed  down  through  the  town,  and  Ned  saw 
the  Mexican  women  looking  at  them.  He  heard  two  or 
three  of  them  say  "pobrecitos"  (poor  fellows),  and  their 
use  of  the  word  struck  upon  his  ear  with  an  ominous 
sound.  He  glanced  back.  Close  behind  the  mass  of  pris- 
oners rode  a  strong  squadron  of  cavalry  with  young  Ur- 
rea at  their  head.  Ned  could  not  see  Urrea's  face,  which 
was  hidden  partly  by  a  cocked  and  plumed  hat,  but  he 
noticed  that  the  young  Mexican  sat  very  upright,  as  if  he 
felt  the  pride  of  authority.  One  hand  held  the  reins,  and 
the  other  rested  on  the  silver  hilt  of  a  small  sword  at  his 
side. 


THE   BLACK   TRAGEDY  325 

A  column  of  Mexican  infantry  marched  on  either  side 
of  the  prisoners,  and  only  a  few  yards  away.  It  seemed 
to  Ned  that  they  were  holding  the  Texans  very  close  for 
men  whom  they  were  to  release  in  a  few  hours.  Trust- 
ing the  Mexicans  in  nothing,  he  was  suspicious  of  every- 
thing, and  he  watched  with  a  gaze  that  missed  no  detail. 
But  he  seemed  to  be  alone  in  such  thoughts.  The  re- 
cruits, enjoying  the  fresh  air  and  the  prospect  of  speedy 
freedom,  were  talking  much,  and  exchanging  many  jests. 

They  passed  out  of  the  little  town,  and  the  last  Ned 
saw  of  it  was  the  Mexican  women  standing  in  the  door- 
ways and  watching.  They  continued  along  the  road  in 
double  file,  with  the  Mexican  infantry  still  on  either  side, 
and  the  Mexican  cavalry  in  the  rear.  A  half  mile  from 
the  town,  and  Urrea  gave  an  order.  The  whole  pro- 
cession stopped,  and  the  column  of  Mexican  infantry  on 
the  left  passed  around,  joining  their  comrades  on  the 
right.  The  recruits  paid  no  attention  to  the  movement, 
but  Ned  looked  instantly  at  Urrea.  He  saw  the  man  rise 
now  in  his  saddle,  his  whole  face  aflame.  In  a  flash  he 
divined  everything.  His  heart  leaped  and  he  shouted: 

"Boys,  they  are  going  to  kill  us !" 

The  startled  recruits  did  not  have  time  to  think,  be- 
cause the  next  instant  Urrea,  rising  to  his  full  height  in 
his  stirrups,  cried: 

"Fire!" 

The  double  line  of  Mexicans,  at  a  range  of  a  few 
yards,  fired  in  an  instant  into  the  column  of  unarmed 
prisoners.  There  was  a  great  blaze,  a  spurt  of  smoke  and 
a  tremendous  crash.  It  seemed  to  Ned  that  he  could 
fairly  hear  the  thudding  of  bullets  upon  bodies,  and  the 
breaking  of  bones  beneath  the  sudden  fierce  impact  of 
the  leaden  hail.  An  awful  strangled  cry  broke  from  the 
poor  recruits,  half  of  whom  were  already  down.  The 


326  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

Mexicans,  reloading  swiftly,  poured  in  another  volley, 
and  the  prisoners  fell  in  heaps.  Then  Urrea  and  the  cav- 
alry, with  swords  and  lances,  charged  directly  upon  them, 
the  hoofs  of  their  horses  treading  upon  wounded  and  un- 
wounded  alike. 

Ned  could  never  remember  clearly  the  next  few  mo- 
ments in  that  red  and  awful  scene.  It  seemed  to  him 
afterward  that  he  went  mad  for  the  time.  He  was  con- 
scious of  groans  and  cries,  of  the  fierce  shouting  of  the 
Mexicans,  wild  with  the  taste  of  blood,  of  the  incessant 
crackling  of  the  rifles  and  muskets,  and  of  falling  bodies. 
He  saw  gathering  over  himself  and  his  slaughtered  com- 
rades a  great  column  of  smoke,  pierced  by  innumerable 
jets  of  fire,  and  he  caught  glimpses  of  the  swart  faces 
of  the  Mexicans  as  they  pulled  triggers.  From  right 
and  left  came  the  crash  of  heavy  but  distant  volleys, 
showing  that  the  other  two  columns  were  being  massa- 
cred in  the  same  way. 

He  felt  the  thunder  of  hoofs  and  a  horse -was  almost 
upon  him,  while  the  rider,  leaning  from  the  saddle,  cut  at 
him  with  a  saber.  Ned,  driven  by  instinct  rather  than 
reason,  sprang  to  one  side  the  next  instant,  and  then  the 
horseman  was  lost  in  the  smoke.  He  dashed  against  a 
figure,  and  was  about  to  strike  with  his  fist,  the  only 
weapon  that  he  now  had,  when  he  saw  that  he  had  col- 
lided with  a  Texan,  unwounded  like  himself.  Then  he, 
too,  was  lost  in  the  smoke. 

A  consuming  rage  and  horror  seized  Ned.  Why  he 
was  not  killed  he  never  knew.  The  cloud  over  the  place 
where  the  slaughtered  recruits  lay  thickened,  but  the 
Mexicans  never  ceased  to  fire  into  it  with  their  rifles  and 
muskets.  The  crackling  of  the  weapons  beat  incessantly 
upon  the  drums  of  his  ears.  Mingled  with  it  were  the 
cries  and  groans  of  the  victims,  now  fast  growing  fewer. 


THE   BLACK  TRAGEDY  327 

But  it  was  all  a  blurred  and  red  vision  to  Ned.  While  he 
was  in  that  deadly  volcano  he  moved  by  instinct  and  im- 
pulse and  not  by  reason. 

A  few  of  the  unwounded  had  already  dashed  from  the 
smoke  and  had  undertaken  flight  across  the  plain,  away 
from  the  Mexican  infantry,  where  they  were  slain  by  the 
lances  or  muskets  of  the  cavalry  under  Urrea.  Ned  fol- 
lowed them.  A  lancer  thrust  so  savagely  at  him  that 
when  the  boy  sprang  aside  the  lance  was  hurled  from  his 
hand.  Ned's  foot  struck  against  the  weapon,  and  in- 
stantly he  picked  it  up.  A  horseman  on  his  right  was 
aiming  a  musket  at  him,  and,  using  the  lance  as  a  long 
club,  he  struck  furiously  at  the  Mexican.  The  heavy  butt 
landed  squarely  upon  the  man's  head,  and  shattered  it 
like  an  eggshell.  Youthful  and  humane,  Ned  neverthe- 
less felt  a  savage  joy  when  the  man's  skull  crashed  be- 
neath his  blow. 

It  is  true  that  he  was  quite  mad  for  the  moment.  His 
rage  and  horror  caused  every  nerve  and  muscle  within 
him  to  swell.  His  brain  was  a  mass  of  fire.  His  strength 
was  superhuman.  Whirling  the  great  lance  in  club  fash- 
ion about  his  head  he  struck  another  Mexican  across  the 
shoulders,  and  sent  him  with  a  howl  of  pain  from  the 
saddle.  He  next  struck  a  horse  across  the  forehead,  and 
so  great  was  the  impact  that  the  animal  went  down.  A 
cavalryman  at  a  range  of  ten  yards  fired  at  him  and 
missed.  He  never  fired  again,  as  the  heavy  butt  of  the 
lance  caught  him  the  next  instant  on  the  side  of  the  head, 
and  he  went  to  join  his  comrade. 

All  the  while  Ned  was  running  for  the  timber.  A  cer- 
tain reason  was  appearing  in  his  actions,  and  he  was  be- 
ginning to  think  clearly.  He  curved  about  as  he  ran, 
knowing  that  it  would  disturb  the  aim  of  the  Mexicans, 
who  were  not  good  shots,  and  instinctively  he  held  on  to 


328  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

the  lance,  whirling  it  about  his  head,  and  from  time  to 
time  uttering  fierce  shouts  like  an  Indian  warrior  wild 
with  battle.  More  than  one  Mexican  horseman  sheered 
away  from  the  formidable  figure  with  the  formidable 
weapon. 

Ned  saw  other  figures,  unarmed,  running  for  the  wood. 
A  few  reached  it,  but  most  were  cut  down  before  they 
had  gone  half  way.  Behind  him  the  firing  and  shouting 
of  the  Mexicans  did  not  seem  to  decrease,  but  no  more 
groans  or  cries  reached  him  from  the  bank  of  smoke  that 
hung  over  the  place  where  the  murdered  recruits  lay. 
But  the  crash  of  the  fire,  directed  on  the  other  columns 
to  right  and  left,  still  came  to  him. 

Ned  saw  the  wood  not  far  away  now.  Twenty  or 
thirty  shots  had  been  fired  at  him,  but  all  missed  except 
two,  which  merely  grazed  him.  He  was  not  hurt  and 
the  superhuman  strength,  born  of  events  so  extraor- 
dinary, still  bore  him  up.  The  trees  looked  very  green. 
They  seemed  to  hold  out  sheltering  arms,  and  there  was 
dense  underbrush  through  which  the  cavalry  could  not 
dash. 

He  came  yet  nearer,  and  then  a  horseman,  rifle  raised 
to  his  shoulder,  dashed  in  between.  Sparks  danced  before 
Ned's  eyes.  Throat  and  mouth,  lips  and  his  whole  face 
burned  with  smoke  and  fever,  but  all  the  heat  seemed  to 
drive  him  into  fiercer  action.  He  struck  at  horse  and 
horseman  so  savagely  that  the  two  went  down  together, 
and  the  lance  broke  in  his  hands.  Then  with  a  cry  of 
triumph  that  his  parched  throat  could  scarcely  utter,  he 
leaped  into  the  timber. 

Having  reached  the  shelter  of  the  trees,  Ned  ran  on 
for  a  long  time,  and  finally  came  into  the  belt  of  forest 
along  the  San  Antonio  River.  Twenty-six  others  escaped 
in  the  same  way  on  that  day,  which  witnessed  the  most 


THE   BLACK  TRAGEDY  329 

dreadful  deed  ever  done  on  the  soil  of  North  America, 
but  nearly  four  hundred  were  murdered  in  obedience  to 
the  letter  sent  by  Antonio  Lopez  de  Santa  Anna.  Fan- 
nin  and  Ward,  themselves,  were  shot  through  the  head, 
and  their  bodies  were  thrown  into  the  common  heap  of 
the  slain. 

Ned  did  not  see  any  of  the  other  fugitives  among  the 
trees.  He  may  have  passed  them,  but  his  brain  was  still 
on  fire,  and  he  beheld  nothing  but  that  terrible  scene  be- 
hind him,  the  falling  recruits,  the  fire  and  the  smoke  and 
the  charging  horsemen.  He  could  scarcely  believe  that 
it  was  real.  The  supreme  power  would  not  permit  such 
things.  Already  the  Alamo  had  lighted  a  fire  in  his  soul, 
and  Goliad  now  turned  it  into  a  roaring  flame.  He  hated 
Urrea,  who  had  rejoiced  in  it,  and  he  hated  Santa  Anna 
who,  he  dimly  felt,  had  been  responsible  for  this  mas- 
sacre. Every  element  in  his  being  was  turned  for  the 
time  into  passion  and  hatred.  As  he  wandered  on,  he 
murmured  unintelligible  but  angry  words  through  his 
burning  lips. 

He  knew  nothing  about  the  passage  of  time,  but  after 
many  hours  he  realized  that  it  was  night,  and  that  he  had 
come  to  the  banks  of  a  river.  It  was  the  San  Antonio, 
and  he  swam  it,  wishing  to  put  the  stream  between  him- 
self and  the  Mexicans.  Then  he  sat  down  in  the  thick 
timber,  and  the  collapse  from  such  intense  emotions  and 
such  great  exertions  came  quickly.  He  seemed  to  go  to 
pieces  all  in  a  breath.  His  head  fell  forward  and  he  be- 
came unconscious. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
THE   RACE  FOR  THE  BOAT 

FIVE  men,  or  rather  four  men  and  a  boy,  rode 
down  the  banks  of  the  San  Antonio,  always  tak- 
ing care  to  keep  well  in  the  shelter  of  the  timber. 
All  the  men  were  remarkable  in  figure,  and  at  least  three 
of  them  were  of  a  fame  that  had  spread  to  every  corner 
of  Texas. 

The  one  who  rode  slightly  in  advance  was  of  gigantic 
build,  enormously  thick  through  the  shoulders  and  chest. 
He  was  dressed  in  brightly  dyed  deerskin,  and  there  were 
many  fanciful  touches  about  his  border  costume.  The 
others  also  wore  deerskin,  but  theirs  was  of  soberer  hue. 
The  man  was  Martin  Palmer,  far  better  known  as  the 
Panther,  or,  as  he  loved  to  call  himself,  the  Ring  Tailed 
Panther.  His  comrades  were  "Deaf"  Smith,  Henry 
Karnes,  Obed  White  and  Will  Allen. 

They  were  not  a  very  cheerful  five.  Riding  as  free 
lances,  because  there  was  now  practically  no  organized 
authority  among  the  Texans,  they  had  been  scouting  the 
day  before  toward  Goliad.  They  had  learned  that  Fan- 
nin  and  his  men  had  been  taken,  and  they  had  sought 
also  to  discover  what  the  Mexican  generals  meant  to  do 
with  the  troops.  But  the  Mexican  patrols  had  been  so 
numerous  and  strong  that  they  could  not  get  close 
enough  to  Goliad.  Early  in  the  morning  while  in  the 
timber  by  the  river  they  had  heard  the  sound  of  heavy 
firing  near  Goliad,  which  continued  for  some  time,  but 
330 


THE   RACE   FOR  THE   BOAT  331 

they  had  not  been  able  to  fathom  its  meaning.  They  con- 
cluded finally  that  a  portion  of  Fannin's  men  must  have 
been  still  holding  out  in  some  old  building  of  Goliad,  and 
that  this  was  the  last  stand. 

They  made  another  effort  to  get  closer  to  the  town,  but 
they  were  soon  compelled  to  turn  back,  and,  again  they 
sought  the  thickest  timber  along  the  river.  Now  they 
were  riding  back,  in  the  hope  of  finding  some  Texan  de- 
tachment with  which  they  could  cooperate. 

"If  we  keep  huntin'  we  ought  to  find  somebody  who 
can  tell  us  somethin',"  said  the  Panther. 

"It's  a  long  lane  that  has  no  news  at  the  end,"  said 
Obed  White,  with  an  attempt  at  buoyancy. 

"That's  so,"  said  "Deaf"  Smith.  "We're  bound  to  hit 
a  trail  somehow  an'  somewhere.  We  heard  that  Fannin's 
men  had  surrendered  an'  then  we  heard  that  firin'.  But  I 
guess  that  they  wouldn't  give  up,  without  makin'  good 
terms  for  themselves,  else  they  would  have  held  out  as 
the  boys  did  in  the  Alamo." 

"Ah,  the  Alamo !"  said  Obed  White.  His  face  clouded 
at  the  words.  He  was  thinking  then  of  the  gallant  youth 
who  had  escaped  with  him  from  the  dungeon  under  the 
sea  in  the  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulua,  and  who  had  been 
his  comrade  in  the  long  and  perilous  flight  through  Mex- 
ico into  Texas.  The  heart  of  the  Maine  man,  alone  in  the 
world,  had  turned  strongly  to  Ned  Fulton,  and  mourning 
him  as  one  dead  he  also  mourned  him  as  a  son.  But  as 
he  rarely  talked  of  the  things  that  affected  him  most,  he 
seldom  mentioned  Ned.  The  Panther  was  less  restrained. 

"We've  got  a  big  score  to  settle  for  the  Alamo,"  he 
said.  "Some  good  friends  of  mine  went  down  forever  in 
that  old  mission  an'  there  was  that  boy,  Ned  Fulton.  I 
s'pose  it  ain't  so  bad  to  be  cut  off  when  you're  old,  an' 
you've  had  most  of  your  life,  but  it  does  look  bad  for  a 


332  THE  TEXAN    SCOUTS 

strong,  fine  boy  just  turnin'  into  a  man  to  come  straight 
up  ag'inst  the  dead  wall." 

Will  Allen  said  nothing,  but  unbidden  water  forced 
itself  to  his  eyes.  He  and  Ned  had  become  the  strongest 
of  friends  and  comrades. 

"After  all  that's  been  done  to  our  people,"  said  the 
Panther,  "I  feel  like  rippin'  an'  r'arin'  an'  chawin'  the 
rest  of  my  life." 

"We'll  have  the  chance  to  do  all  of  it  we  want, 
judgin'  from  the  way  things  are  goin',"  said  "Deaf" 
Smith. 

Then  they  relapsed  into  silence,  and  rode  on  through 
the  timber,  going  slowly  as  they  were  compelled  to  pick 
their  way  in  the  underbrush.  It  was  now  nearly  noon, 
and  a  brilliant  sun  shone  overhead,  but  the  foliage  of 
young  spring  was  heavy  on  trees  and  bushes,  and  it  gave 
them  at  the  same  time  shade  and  shelter. 

As  they  rode  they  watched  everywhere  for  a  trail.  If 
either  Texans  or  Mexicans  had  passed  they  wanted  to 
know  why,  and  when.  They  came  at  last  to  hoofprints 
in  the  soft  bank  of  the  river,  indicating  that  horses — un- 
doubtedly with  men  on  their  backs — had  crossed  here. 
The  skilled  trailers  calculated  the  number  at  more  than 
fifteen,  perhaps  more  than  twenty,  and  they  followed  their 
path  across  the  timber  and  out  upon  the  prairie. 

When  the  hoofprints  were  more  clearly  discernible  in 
the  grass  they  saw  that  they  had  been  made  by  unshod 
feet,  and  they  were  mystified,  but  they  followed  cau- 
tiously on  for  two  or  three  miles,  when  "Deaf"  Smith 
saw  something  gleaming  by  the  track.  He  alighted  and 
picked  up  a  painted  feather. 

"It's  simple  now,"  he  said.  "We've  been  followin'  the 
trail  of  Indians.  They  wouldn't  be  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  'less  they  were  helpin'  the  Mexicans,  an'  I  guess 


THE    RACE   FOR   THE   BOAT  333 

they  were  at  Goliad,  leavin'  after  the  business  there  was 
finished." 

"You're  right,  Deaf,"  said  Karnes.  "That  'counts  for 
the  unshod  hoofs.  It  ain't  worth  while  for  us  to  follow 
them  any  longer,  so  I  guess  we'd  better  turn  back  to  the 
timber." 

Safety  obviously  demanded  this  course,  and  soon  they 
were  again  in  the  forest,  riding  near  the  San  Antonio 
and  down  its  stream.  They  struck  the  trail  of  a  bear, 
then  they  roused  up  a  deer  in  the  thickets,  but  big  game 
had  no  attraction  for  them  now,  and  they  went  on,  leav- 
ing bear  and  deer  in  peace.  Then  the  sharp  eyes  of  the 
Panther  saw  the  print  of  a  human  foot  on  the  river  bank. 
He  soon  saw  three  or  four  more  such  traces  leading  into 
the  forest,  where  the  trail  was  lost. 

The  five  gathered  around  the  imprints  in  the  earth,  and 
debated  their  meaning.  It  was  evident  even  to  Will 
Allen  that  some  one  without  a  horse  had  swum  the  river 
at  that  point  and  had  climbed  up  the  bank.  They  could 
see  the  traces  lower  down,  where  he  had  emerged  from 
the  water. 

"I  figger  it  this  way,"  said  the  Panther.  "People  don't 
go  travelin'  through  this  country  except  on  horses,  an* 
this  fellow,  whoever  he  is,  didn't  have  any  horse,  as  we 
all  can  see  as  plain  as  day." 

"An'  in  such  times  as  these,"  said  "Deaf"  Smith,  "fel- 
lers don't  go  swimmin'  rivers  just  for  fun.  The  one  that 
made  these  tracks  was  in  a  hurry.  Ain't  that  so,  Hank  ?" 

"'Course  he  was,"  replied  Karnes.  "He  was  gettin' 
away  from  somewhere  an'  from  somebody.  That's  why 
he  swam  the  river;  he  wanted  the  San  Antonio  to  sep- 
arate him  from  them  somebodies." 

"And  putting  two  and  two  and  then  two  more  to- 
gether." said  Obed  White,  "we  draw  the  conclusion  that 


334  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

it  is  a  fugitive,  probably  one  of  our  own  Texans,  who 
has  escaped  in  some  manner  from  his  prison  at  Goliad." 

"It's  what  we  all  think,"  said  the  Panther,  "an'  now 
we'll  beat  up  these  thickets  till  we  find  him.  He's  sure 
to  keep  movin'  away  from  Goliad,  an'  he's  got  sense  to 
stay  in  the  cover  of  the  timber." 

The  forest  here  ran  back  from  the  river  three  or  four 
hundred  yards,  and  the  five,  separating  and  moving  up 
the  stream,  searched  thoroughly.  The  hunt  presently 
brought  the  Panther  and  Obed  White  together  again,  and 
they  expressed  their  disappointment  at  finding  nothing. 
Then  they  heard  a  cry  from  Will  Allen,  who  came  gal- 
loping through  the  thickets,  his  face  white  and  his  eyes 
starting. 

"I've  found  Ned  Fulton !"  he  cried.  "He's  lying  here 
dead  in  the  bushes !" 

The  Panther  and  Obed  stared  in  amazement. 

"Will,"  exclaimed  the  Panther,  "have  you  gone  plum' 
crazy?  Ned  was  killed  at  the  Alamo!" 

"I  tell  you  he  is  here !"  cried  the  boy,  who  was  shaking 
with  excitement.  "I  have  just  seen  him !  He  was  lying 
on  his  back  in  the  bushes,  and  he  did  not  move !" 

"Lead  on !  Let's  see  what  you  have  seen !"  said  Obed, 
who  began  to  share  in  the  boy's  excitement. 

The  Panther  whistled,  and  Smith  and  Karnes  joined 
them.  Then,  led  by  Will  Allen,  they  rode  swiftly  through 
the  bushes,  coming,  forty  or  fifty  yards  away,  into  a  tiny 
grassy  glade.  It  was  either  Ned  Fulton  or  his  ghost,  and 
the  Panther,  remembering  the  Alamo,  took  it  for  the 
latter.  He  uttered  a  cry  of  astonishment  and  reined  in 
his  horse.  But  Obed  White  leaped  to  the  ground,  and 
ran  to  the  prostrate  figure. 

"A  miracle!"  he  exclaimed.  "It's  Ned  Fulton!  And 
he's  alive!" 


THE   RACE   FOR  THE   BOAT  335 

The  others  also  sprang  from  their  horses,  and  crowded 
around  their  youthful  comrade,  whom  they  had  consid- 
ered among  the  fallen  of  the  Alamo.  Ned  was  uncon- 
scious, his  face  was  hot  with  fever,  and  his  breathing  was 
hard  and  irregular. 

"How  he  escaped  from  the  Alamo  and  how  he  came 
here  we  don't  know,"  said  Obed  White  solemnly,  "but 
there  are  lots  of  strange  things  in  heaven  and  earth,  as 
old  Shakespeare  said,  and  this  is  one  of  the  strangest  of 
them  all." 

"However,  it's  happened  we're  glad  to  get  him  back," 
said  the  Panther.  "An'  now  we  must  go  to  work.  You 
can  tell  by  lookin'  at  him  that  he's  been  through  all  kinds 
of  trouble,  an'  a  powerful  lot  of  it." 

These  skilled  borderers  knew  that  Ned  was  suffering 
from  exhaustion.  They  forced  open  his  mouth,  poured  a 
drink  down  his  throat  from  a  flask  that  Karnes  carried, 
and  rubbed  his  hands  vigorously.  Ned,  after  a  while, 
opened  his  eyes  and  looked  at  them  dimly.  He  knew  in 
a  vague  way  that  these  were  familiar  faces,  but  he  re- 
membered nothing,  and  he  felt  no  surprise. 

"Ned!  Ned!  Don't  you  know  us?"  said  Will  Allen. 
"We're  your  friends,  and  we  found  you  lying  here  in 
the  bush !" 

The  clouds  slowly  cleared  away  from  Ned's  mind  and 
it  all  came  back,  the  terrible  and  treacherous  slaughter  of 
his  unarmed  comrades,  his  own  flight  through  the  timber, 
his  swimming  of  the  river,  and  then  the  blank.  But  these 
were  his  best  friends.  It  was  no  fantasy.  How  and  when 
they  had  come  he  did  not  know,  but  here  they  were  in  the 
flesh,  the  Panther,  Obed  White,  Will  Allen,  "Deaf"  Smith 
and  Henry  Karnes. 

"Boys,"  he  asked  weakly,  "how  did  you  find  me?" 

"Now  don't  you  try  to  talk  yet  a  while,  Ned,"  said 


336  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

Obed  White,  veiling  his  feeling  under  a  whimsical  tone. 
"When  people  come  back  from  the  dead  they  don't  al- 
ways stay,  and  we  want  to  keep  you,  as  you're  an  en- 
rolled member  of  this  party.  The  news  of  your  trip 
into  the  beyond  and  back  again  will  keep,  until  we 
fix  up  something  for  you  that  will  make  you  feel  a  lot 
stronger." 

These  frontiersmen  never  rode  without  an  outfit, 
and  Smith  produced  a  small  skillet  from  his  kit.  The 
Panther  lighted  a  fire,  Karnes  chipped  off  some  dried 
beef,  and  in  a  few  minutes  they  had  a  fine  soup,  which 
Ned  ate  with  relish.  He  sat  with  his  back  against  a  tree 
and  his  strength  returned  rapidly. 

"I  guess  you  can  talk  now,  Ned,"  said  Obed  White. 
"You  can  tell  us  how  you  got  away  from  the  Alamo,  and 
where  you've  been  all  the  time." 

Young  Fulton's  face  clouded  and  Obed  White  saw  his 
hands  tremble. 

"It  isn't  the  Alamo,"  he  said.  "They  died  fighting 
there.  It  was  Goliad." 

"Goliad?"  exclaimed  "Deaf"  Smith.  "What  do  you 
mean  ?" 

"I  mean  the  slaughter,  the  massacre.  All  our  men 
were  led  out.  They  were  told  that  they  were  to  go  on 
parole.  Then  the  whole  Mexican  army  opened  fire  upon 
us  at  a  range  of  only  a  few  yards  and  the  cavalry  trod 
us  down.  We  had  no  arms.  We  could  not  fight  back. 
It  was  awful.  I  did  not  dream  that  such  things  could  be. 
None  of  you  will  ever  see  what  I've  seen,  and  none  of 
you  will  ever  go  through  what  I've  gone  through." 

"Ned,  you've  had  fever.  It's  a  dream,"  said  Obed 
White,  incredulous. 

"It  is  no  dream.  I  broke  through  somehow,  and  got  to 
the  timber.  Maybe  a  few  others  escaped  in  the  same 


THE   RACE   FOR  THE   BOAT  337 

way,  but  all  the  rest  were  murdered  in  cold  blood.  I 
know  that  Santa  Anna  ordered  it." 

They  knew  perfectly  well  that  Ned  was  telling  the 
full  truth,  and  the  faces  of  all  of  them  darkened.  The 
same  thought  was  in  the  heart  of  every  one,  vengeance 
for  the  deed,  but  however  intense  was  the  thought  it  did 
not  approach  the  feeling  of  Ned,  who  had  seen  it  all,  and 
who  had  been  through  it  all. 

"I  guess  that  was  the  firing  we  heard,"  said  Smith, 
"when  we  thought  it  was  the  boys  making  a  last  stand  at 
Goliad.  I  tell  you,  comrades,  this  means  the  freedom  of 
Texas.  No  matter  how  the  quarrel  came  about  no  peo- 
ple can  stand  such  things." 

"It's  so,"  said  the  others  together. 

They  did  not  declaim.  They  were  of  a  tribe  that  was 
not  given  much  to  words,  but  they  felt  sure  that  their 
own  resolve  to  fight  until  no  Mexicans  were  left  in  Texas 
would  now  be  shared  by  every  Texan. 

After  Ned  rested  a  while  longer  and  ate  more  of  the 
good  soup,  he  told  the  full  story  of  the  great  and  tragic 
scenes  through  which  he  had  passed  since  he  became  sep- 
arated from  them.  Seasoned  as  they  were,  these  men 
hung  with  breathless  interest  on  every  detail.  He  told 
them  everything  that  had  passed  in  the  Alamo  during 
the  long  days  of  the  siege.  He  told  of  Crockett  and 
Bowie  and  Travis  and  of  the  final  assault. 

The  Panther  drew  a  deep  breath,  when  he  finished  that 
part  of  the  story. 

"They  were  certainly  great  men  in  the  Alamo,  them 
fellers,"  he  said,  "an'  when  my  time  comes  to  die  I  be- 
lieve I'd  rather  die  that  way  than  any  other." 

Ned  did  not  linger  long  over  the  tale  of  Goliad.  He 
could  not  yet  bear  the  detailed  repetition. 

"I  think  we'd  better  make  for  the  coast,"  said  "Deaf" 


338  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

Smith,  when  he  had  finished.  "Our  forces  in  the  field  are 
about  wiped  out,  an'  we've  got  to  raise  a  new  army  of 
some  kind.  We  can  look  for  our  government,  too.  It's 
wanderin'  aroun',  tryin'  to  keep  out  of  the  hands  of 
Santa  Anna.  We  haven't  any  horse  for  you  now,  Ned, 
but  you  can  ride  behind  Will  Allen.  Maybe  we  can  get 
you  a  mount  before  long." 

They  remained  in  the  timber  the  rest  of  the  day,  in 
order  that  Ned  might  recover  sufficiently  for  the  journey. 
About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  they  saw  a  dozen 
Mexican  cavalrymen  on  the  plain,  and  they  hoped  that 
they  would  invade  the  timber.  They  were  keyed  to  such 
a  pitch  of  anger  and  hate  that  they  would  have  welcomed 
a  fight,  and  they  were  more  than  confident  of  victory,  but 
the  Mexicans  disappeared  beyond  the  swells,  and  every 
one  of  the  men  was  disappointed. 

At  night  they  began  their  march  toward  the  north,  and 
continued  almost  until  morning.  Ned,  riding  behind  Will 
Allen,  scarcely  spoke.  Obed  White,  then  and  afterward, 
observed  a  great  change  in  him.  He  seemed  to  have 
matured  suddenly  far  beyond  his  years,  and  Obed  always 
felt  that  he  had  some  unchanging  purpose  that  had  little 
to  do  with  gentleness  or  mercy. 

They  slept  in  the  timber  until  about  10  o'clock,  and 
then  resumed  their  ride  northward,  still  holding  to  the 
opinion  that  the  peripatetic  Texan  government  would  be 
found  at  Harrisburg,  or  somewhere  in  its  vicinity.  In 
the  afternoon  they  encountered  a  Mexican  force  of  eight 
mounted  men,  and  attacked  with  such  vigor  that  Ned  and 
Will,  riding  double,  were  never  able  to  get  into  the  fight. 
Two  of  the  Mexicans  fell,  and  the  rest  got  away.  The 
Texans  were  unharmed. 

The  Panther,  after  a  chase,  captured  one  of  the 
horses,  and  brought  him  back  for  Ned.  They  also  se- 


THE   RACE   FOR  THE   BOAT  339 

cured  the  arms  of  the  fallen  Mexicans,  one  of  these 
weapons  being  an  American  rifle,  which  Ned  was  quite 
sure  had  belonged  to  a  slaughtered  recruit  at  Goliad. 
They  also  found  a  letter  in  one  of  the  Mexican  haver- 
sacks. It  was  from  General  Urrea  to  General  Santa 
Anna,  and  the  Panther  and  his  comrades  inferred  from 
the  direction  in  which  its  bearer  had  been  riding  that  the 
dictator  himself  had  left  San  Antonio,  and  was  marching 
eastward  with  the  main  Mexican  army. 

"I  have  to  inform  you,"  ran  a  part  of  the  letter,  "that 
your  orders  in  regard  to  the  rebels  at  Goliad  were  car- 
ried out,  in  my  absence,  by  the  brave  and  most  excellent 
Colonel  Portilla.  They  were  all  executed,  except  a  few 
who  escaped  under  cover  of  the  smoke  to  the  timber,  but 
our  cavalrymen  are  sure  to  find  in  time  every  one  of 
these,  and  inflict  upon  them  the  justice  that  you  have 
ordered. 

"I  shall  march  north,  expecting  to  meet  your  excel- 
lency, and  I  trust  that  I  shall  have  further  good  news  to 
report  to  you.  There  are  now  no  rebel  forces  worthy  of 
the  name.  We  shall  sweep  the  country  clean.  I  shall 
send  detachments  to  take  any  Americans  who  may  land 
at  the  ports,  and,  cooperating  with  you,  I  feel  assured, 
also,  that  we  shall  capture  every  member  of  the  rebel  gov- 
ernment. In  another  month  there  will  not  be  a  single 
Texan  in  arms  against  us." 

Ned  read  the  letter  aloud,  translating  into  English  as 
he  went,  and  when  he  finished  the  Panther  burst  into  a 
scornful  laugh. 

"So,  the  rebels  are  all  killed,  or  about  to  be  killed !"  he 
said.  "An'  there  won't  be  one  Texan  in  arms  a  month 
from  now!  I'm  willin'  to  give  my  word  that  here  are 
six  of  us  who  will  be  in  arms  then,  roarin'  an'  rippin'  an' 
t'arin'!  They'll  sweep  the  country  clean,  will  they? 


340  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

They'll  need  a  bigger  broom  for  that  job  than  any  that 
was  ever  made  in  Mexico !" 

The  others  made  comment  in  like  fashion,  but  young 
Fulton  was  silent.  His  resolution  was  immutable,  and  it 
required  no  words  to  assert  it. 

"I  guess  we'd  better  take  this  letter  with  us  an'  give  it 
to  Sam  Houston,"  said  "Deaf"  Smith.  "Houston  ha? 
been  criticized  a  lot  for  not  gatherin'  his  forces  together 
an'  attackin'  the  Mexicans,  but  he  ain't  had  any  forces 
to  gather,  an'  talk  has  never  been  much  good  against 
cannon  balls  an'  bullets.  Still,  he's  the  only  man  we've 
got  to  fall  back  on." 

"You  keep  the  letter,  'Deaf',"  said  the  Panther,  "an1 
now  that  we've  got  a  horse  for  Ned  I  guess  we  can  go  a 
little  faster.  How  you  f eelin'  now,  Ned  ?" 

"Fine,"  replied  Ned.  "Don't  you  bother  about  me  any 
more.  I  started  on  the  upgrade  the  moment  you  fellows 
found  me." 

"A  good  horse  and  a  good  rifle  ought  to  be  enough  to 
bring  back  the  strength  to  any  Texan,"  said  Obed  White. 

They  resumed  their  journey  at  a  faster  pace,  but  be- 
fore  nightfall  they  met  another  Texan  who  informed 
them  that  large  forces  of  Mexicans  were  now  between 
them  and  Harrisburg.  Hence  they  concluded  that  it  was 
wiser  to  turn  toward  the  coast,  and  make  a  great  circuit 
around  the  forces  of  Santa  Anna. 

But  they  told  the  Texan  scout  of  what  had  been  done 
at  Goliad,  and  bade  him  wave  the  torch  of  fire  wherever 
he  went.  He  rode  away  with  a  face  aghast  at  the  news, 
and  they  knew  that  he  would  soon  spread  it  through  the 
north.  As  for  themselves  they  rode  rapidly  toward  the 
east. 

They  spent  the  night  in  a  cluster  of  timber,  and  the 
Panther  was  fortunate  enough  to  shoot  a  wild  turkey. 


THE   RACE   FOR  THE   BOAT  341 

They  made  Ned  eat  the  tenderest  parts,  and  then  seek 
sleep  between  blankets.  His  fever  was  now  gone,  but 
he  was  relaxed  and  weak.  It  was  a  pleasant  weakness, 
however,  and,  secure  in  the  comradeship  of  his  friends, 
he  soon  fell  into  a  deep  slumber  which  lasted  all  the  night. 

The  others  had  planned  an  early  start,  but,  as  Ned 
was  sleeping  with  such  calm  and  peace,  they  decided  not 
to  disturb  him,  knowing  how  much  he  needed  the  rest. 
It  was  three  hours  after  sunrise  when  he  awoke,  and  he 
made  many  apologies,  but  the  rest  only  laughed. 

"What's  the  use  of  our  hurryin'?"  said  "Deaf"  Smith. 
"It'll  take  some  time  for  Sam  Houston  to  get  any  army 
together,  an'  we  might  keep  in  good  shape  until  he  gets 
it.  Here's  more  beef  soup  for  you,  Ned.  You'll  find  it 
mighty  fine  for  buildin'  up." 

Two  or  three  hours  after  they  started  that  day  they 
came  to  a  large  trail,  and,  when  they  followed  it  a  little 
while,  they  found  that  it  was  made  by  Mexicans  march- 
ing south,  but  whether  they  belonged  to  the  main  force 
under  Santa  Anna  or  that  under  Urrea  they  could  not  tell. 

It  was  evident  that  the  northern  road  was  full  of  dan- 
gers and  they  rode  for  the  coast.  Several  small  Texan 
vessels  were  flitting  around  the  gulf,  now  and  then  enter- 
ing obscure  bays  and  landing  arms,  ammunition  and  re- 
cruits for  the  cause.  Both  Smith  and  Karnes  were  of 
the  opinion  that  they  might  find  a  schooner  or  sloop,  and 
they  resolved  to  try  for  it. 

They  reached,  the  next  day,  country  that  had  not  been 
ravaged  by  the  troops  of  Santa  Anna,  and  passed  one  or 
two  tiny  settlements,  where  they  told  the  news  of  Goliad. 
The  Panther,  Smith  and  Karnes  were  well  known  to  all 
the  Texans,  and  they  learned  in  the  last  of  these  villages 
that  a  schooner  was  expected  in  a  cove  about  forty  miles 
up  the  coast.  It  would  undoubtedly  put  in  at  night,  and 


342  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

it  would  certainly  arrive  in  two  or  three  days.  They 
thought  it  was  coming  from  New  Orleans. 

The  little  party  decided  to  ride  for  the  cove,  and  meet 
the  schooner  if  possible.  They  could  reach  it  in  another 
day  and  night,  and  they  would  await  the  landing. 

"We've  got  good  friends  in  New  Orleans,"  said  Smith, 
as  they  rode  over  the  prairie.  "You'll  remember  the  mer- 
chant, John  Roylston.  He's  for  us  heart  and  soul,  an' 
I've  no  doubt  that  he's  sendin'  us  help." 

"All  the  Texans  owe  him  a  debt,"  said  Ned,  "and  I 
owe  him  most  of  all.  His  name  saved  my  life,  when  I 
was  taken  at  San  Antonio.  It  had  weight  with  Santa 
Anna,  and  it  might  have  had  weight  with  him,  too,  at 
Goliad,  had  he  been  there." 

They  rode  steadily  all  the  next  day.  Their  horses  were 
tough  mustangs  of  the  best  quality,  and  showed  no  signs 
of  weariness.  They  passed  through  a  beautiful  country 
of  light  rolling  prairie,  interspersed  with  fine  forest.  The 
soil  was  deep  and  rich,  and  the  foliage  was  already  in  its 
tenderest  spring  green.  Soft,  warm  airs  swept  up  from 
the  gulf.  Five  of  the  riders  felt  elation,  and  talked 
cheerfully.  But  Ned  maintained  a  somber  silence.  The 
scenes  of  Goliad  were  still  too  vivid  for  him  to  rejoice 
over  anything.  The  others  understood,  and  respected  his 
silence. 

They  camped  that  night  as  usual  in  the  thickest  forest 
they  could  find,  and,  feeling  that  they  were  now  too  far 
east  to  be  in  any  serious  danger  from  the  Mexicans,  they 
lighted  a  fire,  warmed  their  food,  and  made  coffee,  hav- 
ing replenished  their  supplies  at  the  last  settlement.  Obed 
White  was  the  coffee  maker,  heating  it  in  a  tin  pot  with 
a  metal  bottom.  They  had  only  one  cup,  which  they  used 
in  turn,  but  the  warm  food  and  drink  were  very  grateful 
to  them  after  their  hard  riding. 


THE   RACE   FOR  THE   BOAT  343 

"Keeping  in  good  condition  is  about  three-fourths  of 
war,"  said  Obed  in  an  oracular  tone.  "He  who  eats  and 
runs  away  will  live  to  eat  another  day.  Besides,  Na- 
poleon said  that  an  army  marched  better  on  a  full  stom- 
ach, or  something  like  it." 

"That  applied  to  infantry,"  said  Will  Allen.  "We 
march  on  our  horses." 

"Some  day,"  said  Ned,  "when  we've  beaten  Santa 
Anna  and  driven  all  the  Mexicans  out  of  Texas,  I'm 
going  back  and  hunt  for  Old  Jack.  He  and  I  are  too 
good  friends  to  part  forever.  I  found  him,  after  aban- 
doning him  the  first  time,  and  I  believe  I  can  do  it  again, 
after  leaving  him  the  second  time." 

"Of  course  you  can,"  said  the  Panther  cheerily.  "Old 
Jack  is  a  horse  that  will  never  stay  lost.  Now,  I  think 
we'd  better  put  out  our  fire  and  go  to  sleep.  The  horses 
will  let  us  know  if  any  enemy  comes." 

All  were  soon  slumbering  peacefully  in  their  blankets, 
"but  Ned,  who  had  slept  so  much  the  night  before,  awak- 
ened in  two  or  three  hours.  He  believed,  at  first,  that  a 
distant  sound  had  broken  his  sleep,  but  when  he  sat  up 
he  heard  nothing.  Five  dusky  figures  lay  in  a  row  near 
him.  They  were  those  of  his  comrades,  and  he  heard 
their  steady  breathing.  Certainly  they  slept  well.  He 
lay  down  again,  but  he  remained  wide  awake,  and,  when 
his  ear  touched  the  ground,  he  seemed  to  hear  the  faint 
and  distant  sound  again. 

He  rose  and  looked  at  the  horses.  They  had  not 
moved,  and  it  was  quite  evident  that  they  had  detected 
no  hostile  presence.  But  Ned  was  not  satisfied.  Putting 
his  rifle  on  his  shoulder  he  slipped  through  the  forest  to 
the  edge  of  the  prairie.  Long  before  he  was  there  he 
knew  that  he  had  not  been  deceived  by  fancy. 

He  saw,  two  or  three  hundred  yards  in  front  of  him,  a 


344  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

long  file  of  cavalry  marching  over  the  prairie,  going 
swiftly  and  straight  ahead,  as  if  bent  upon  some  purpose 
well  defined.  A  good  moon  and  abundant  stars  fur- 
nished plenty  of  light,  and  Ned  saw  that  the  force  was 
Mexican.  There  were  no  lancers,  all  the  men  carrying 
rifles  or  muskets,  and  Ned  believed  that  he  recognized 
the  younger  Urrea  in  the  figure  at  their  head.  He  had 
seen  the  young  Mexican  so  often  and  in  such  vivid  mo- 
ments that  there  was  no  phase  of  pose  or  gesture  that  he 
could  forget. 

Ned  watched  the  column  until  it  was  hidden  by  the 
swells.  It  had  never  veered  to  either  right  or  left,  and 
its  course  was  the  same  as  that  of  his  comrades  and  him- 
self. He  wondered  a  little  while,  and  then  he  felt  a  sus- 
picion which  quickly  grew  into  a  certainty.  Urrea,  a 
daring  partisan  leader,  who  rode  over  great  distances, 
had  heard  of  the  schooner  and  its  arms,  and  was  on  his 
way  to  the  cove  to  seize  them.  It  was  for  Ned  and  his 
friends  to  prevent  it. 

He  returned,  and,  awakening  the  others,  stated  what 
he  had  seen.  Then  he  added  his  surmise. 

"It's  likely  that  you're  guessin'  right,"  said  "Deaf" 
Smith.  "The  Mexicans  have  spies,  of  course,  an'  they 
get  word,  too,  from  Europeans  in  these  parts,  who  are 
not  friendly  to  us.  What  do  you  say,  boys,  all  of  you  ?" 

"That  Urrea  is  bound  for  the  same  place  we  are,"  said 
Obed  White. 

"That  we've  got  to  ride  hard,  an'  fast,"  said  the 
Panther. 

"It's  our  business  to  get  there  first,"  said  Karnes. 

"Let's  take  to  the  saddle  now,"  said  Will  Allen. 

Ned  said  nothing.  He  had  given  his  opinion  already. 
They  saddled  their  horses,  and  were  on  the  plain  in  five 
minutes,  riding  directly  in  the  trail  of  the  Mexican  cav- 


THE   RACE   FOR   THE   BOAT  345 


Before  dawn  they  faintly  saw  the  troop  ahead    and 


and  ate  then-  breakfasts  in  the  saddle.    They  rode 
the  same  beautiful  country,  but  without         ° 

' 


Ned  went  over  their  directions  once  more.  The  cove 
ran  back  from  the  sea  about  a  mile,  and  its  entrance  was 
a  s  trait  not  more  than  thirty  yards  wide,  but  deep  In 

for-  H  h"T  C°Ve  W3S  dCeP'  bdnS  SUrrounded  bV  high 
fo  rated  banks  except  at  the  west,  into  which  a  narrow 
deep  creek  emptied.  The  only  convenient  landing 
was  he  creek  s  mouth,  and  they  believed  that  they  would 
find  the  schooner  there. 

Ned,  in  common  with  the  others,  felt  the  great  im- 
portance of  the  mission  on  which  they  rode.    Most  of  the 
xan  cannon  and  a  great  part  of  their  rifles  had  been 
taken  at  the  Alamo  and  Goliad.     But  greater  even  than 
e  need  of  arms  was  that  of  ammunition.     If  Urrea 
were  able  to  seize  the  schooner,  or  to  take  the  supplies 
the  moment  after  they  landed,  he  would  strike  the  Tex' 
3    a    heavy    blow.     Hence  the  six  now  pushed  their 
horses. 

At  ten  o'clock,  they  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  sea  upon 
their  right.  Five  minutes  later  they  saw  a  cloud  of  dust 

their  left,  less  than  a  mile  away.  It  was  moving  rap- 
idly, and  it  was  evident  at  once  that  it  was  made  by  a 


346  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

large  body  of  horse.  When  the  dust  lifted  a  little,  they 
saw  that  it  was  Urrea  and  his  men. 

"It's  likely  that  they  have  more  information  than  we 
have,"  said  the  Panther,  "an'  they  are  ridin'  hard  to 
make  a  surprise.  Boys,  we've  got  to  beat  'em,  an',  to  do 
it,  we've  got  to  keep  ahead  of  our  dust  all  the  time !" 

"The  greater  the  haste,  the  greater  the  speed  just 
now,"  said  Obed  White. 

They  urged  their  horses  into  a  gallop.  They  kept  close 
to  the  sea,  while  Urrea  was  more  than  half  a  mile  inland. 
Luckily,  a  thin  skirt  of  timber  soon  intervened  between 
Mexicans  and  Texans,  and  the  six  believed  that  Urrea 
and  his  men  were  unaware  of  their  presence.  Their  own 
cloud  of  dust  was  much  smaller  than  that  of  the  Mex- 
icans, and  also  it  might  readily  be  mistaken  for  sea  sand 
whipped  up  by  the  wind. 

Ned  and  the  Panther  rode  in  front,  side  by  side,  Smith 
and  Karnes  followed,  side  by  side,  too,  and  behind  came 
Obed  White  and  Will  Allen,  riding  knee  to  knee.  They 
ascended  a  rise  and  Ned,  whose  eyes  were  the  keenest  of 
them  all,  uttered  a  little  cry. 

"The  schooner  is  there !"  he  exclaimed.  "See,  isn't 
that  the  top  of  a  mast  sticking  up  above  those  scrub 
trees?" 

"It's  nothing  else,"  said  Obed  White,  who  was  familiar 
with  the  sea  and  ships.  "And  it's  bound,  too,  to  be  the 
schooner  for  which  we  are  looking.  Forward,  boys !  The 
swift  will  win  the  race,  and  the  battle  will  go  to  the 
strong !" 

They  pressed  their  horses  now  to  their  greatest  speed. 
The  cove  and  the  ship  were  not  more  than  a  half  mile 
away.  A  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  the  skirt  of  timber 
failed.  The  Mexicans  on  their  left  saw  them,  and  in- 
creased their  speed. 


THE   RACE   FOR  THE   BOAT  347 

"The  schooner's  anchored!"  exclaimed  Obed,  "and 
they  are  unloading!  Look,  part  of  the  cargo  is  on  the 
bank  already!" 

With  foot  and  rein  they  took  the  last  ounce  of  speed 
from  their  horses,  and  galloped  up  to  a  group  of  aston- 
ished men,  who  were  transferring  arms  and  ammunition 
by  small  boats  from  a  schooner  to  the  land.  Already 
more  than  a  hundred  rifles,  and  a  dozen  barrels  of  pow- 
der lay  upon  the  shore. 

"Back  to  the  ship!  Back  to  the  ship!"  cried  Ned,  who 
involuntarily  took  the  lead.  "We  are  Texans,  and  a 
powerful  force  of  Mexicans  will  be  here  inside  of  fifteen 
minutes !" 

The  men  looked  at  him  astonished  and  unbelieving. 
Ned  saw  among  them  a  figure,  clad  in  sober  brown,  a 
man  with  a  large  head  and  a  broad,  intellectual  face, 
with  deep  lines  of  thought.  He  knew  him  at  once,  and 
cried : 

"Mr.  Roylston,  it  is  I!  Edward  Fulton!  You  know 
me!  And  here  are  Captain  Palmer,  "Deaf"  Smith, 
Henry  Karnes,  Obed  White  and  Will  Allen!  I  tell  you 
that  you  have  no  time  to  lose !  Put  the  supplies  back  on 
the  schooner,  and  be  as  quick  as  you  can!  Captain  Ur- 
rea  and  two  hundred  men  are  galloping  fast  to  capture 
them !" 

Roylston  started  in  astonishment  at  the  appearance  of 
Ned,  whom  he,  too,  had  believed  to  be  dead,  but  he 
wasted  no  time  in  questions.  He  gave  quick  orders  to 
have  the  arms  and  ammunition  reloaded,  and  directed  the 
task  himself.  The  Panther  sprang  from  his  horse  and 
walked  back  to  the  edge  of  the  wood. 

"Here  they  come  at  a  gallop,"  he  said,  "and  we  need 
time.  Boys,  hand  me  your  rifles,  as  I  call  for  them,  an* 
I'll  show  you  how  to  shoot." 


348  THE   TEXAN   SCOUTS 

The  Panther  did  not  mean  to  boast,  nor  did  the  others 
take  it  as  such.  He  merely  knew  his  own  skill,  and  he 
meant  to  use  it. 

"Do  as  he  says,"  said  "Deaf"  Smith  to  the  others.  "I 
reckon  that,  as  Davy  Crockett  is  dead,  the  Panther  is  the 
best  shot  in  all  Texas." 

The  Mexican  cavalry  were  coming  at  a  gallop,  several 
hundred  yards  away.  The  Panther  raised  his  long,  slen- 
der-barreled rifle,  pulled  the  trigger,  and  the  first  horse- 
man fell  from  the  saddle.  Without  turning,  he  held  out 
his  hands  and  Smith  thrust  the  second  rifle  into  them. 
Up  went  the  weapon,  and  a  second  Mexican  saddle  was 
empty.  A  third  rifle  and  a  third  Mexican  went  down,  a 
fourth,  and  the  result  was  the  same.  The  whole  Mexican 
troop,  appalled  at  such  deadly  shooting,  stopped  sud- 
denly. 

"Keep  it  up,  Panther !  Keep  it  up !"  cried  Smith.  "We 
need  every  minute  of  time  that  we  can  get." 

While  the  Mexicans  hesitated  the  Panther  sent  another 
fatal  bullet  among  them.  Then  they  spread  out  swiftly 
in  a  thin  half  circle,  and  advanced  again.  All  the  six 
Texans  now  opened  fire,  and  they  were  also  helped  by 
some  of  the  men  from  the  boat.  But  a  part  of  the  at- 
tacking force  had  gained  cover  and  the  fire  was  not  now 
so  effective. 

Nevertheless  the  rush  of  the  Mexicans  was  checked, 
and  under  the  directions  of  Roylston  the  reloading  of  the 
schooner  was  proceeding  rapidly.  They  hoisted  the  last 
of  the  powder  and  rifles  over  the  side,  and  two  of  the 
boats  were  putting  back  for  the  defenders.  The 
schooner,  meanwhile,  had  taken  in  her  anchor  and  was 
unfurling  her  sails.  Roylston  was  in  one  of  the  boats 
and,  springing  upon  the  bank,  he  shouted  to  the  de- 
fenders : 


THE  RACE  FOR  THE  BOAT     349 

"Come,  lads !  The  supplies  are  all  back  on  board !  It's 
for  your  lives  now  !" 

All  the  men  instantly  abandoned  the  defence  and 
rushed  for  the  bank,  the  Panther  uttering  a  groan  of 
anger. 

"I  hate  to  leave  six  good  horses  to  Urrea,  an'  that 
gang,"  he  said,  "but  I  s'pose  it  has  to  be  done." 

"Don't  grieve,  Panther,"  cried  Smith.  "We'll  take 
three  for  one  later  on !" 

"Hurry  up !  Hurry  up !"  said  Roylston.  "There  is  no 
time  to  waste.  Into  the  boats,  all  of  you !" 

They  scrambled  into  the  boats,  reached  the  schooner, 
and  pulled  the  boats  to  the  deck  after  them.  There  was 
not  a  minute  to  lose.  The  schooner,  her  sails  full  of 
wind,  was  beginning  to  move,  and  the  Mexicans  were 
already  firing  at  her,  although  their  bullets  missed. 

Ned  and  Will  Allen  threw  themselves  flat  on  the  deck, 
and  heard  the  Mexican  bullets  humming  over  their  heads. 
Ned  knew  that  they  were  still  in  great  danger,  as  it  was 
a  mile  to  the  open  sea,  and  the  Mexicans  galloping  along 
by  the  side  of  the  cove  had  begun  a  heavy  fire  upon  the 
schooner.  But  the  Panther  uttered  a  tremendous  and 
joyous  shout  of  defiance. 

"They  can't  hurt  the  ship  as  long  as  they  ain't  got 
cannon,"  he  said,  "an'  since  it's  rifles,  only,  we'll  give  it 
back  to  'em !" 

He  and  the  other  sharpshooters,  sheltering  themselves, 
began  to  rake  the  woods  with  rifle  fire.  The  Mexicans 
replied,  and  the  bullets  peppered  the  wooden  sides  of  the 
schooner  or  cut  holes  through  her  sails.  But  the  Texans 
now  had  the  superiority.  They  could  shelter  themselves 
on  the  ship,  and  they  were  also  so  much  better  marksmen 
that  they  did  much  damage,  while  suffering  but  little 
themselves. 


350  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

The  schooner  presently  passed  between  the  headlands, 
and  then  into  the  open  sea.  She  did  not  change  her 
course  until  she  was  eight  or  ten  miles  from  land,  when 
she  turned  northward. 


CHAPTER  XX 
THE  CRY  FOR  VENGEANCE 

AS  soon  as  the  schooner  was  out  of  range  Ned  and 
his  comrades  stood  up  on  the  deck,  and  looked 
back  at  the  long  low  coastline,  which  had  of- 
fered to  them  so  much  danger.  At  first  they  saw  Mex- 
ican horsemen  on  the  beach,  but  as  they  went  further  and 
further  out  to  sea  they  disappeared. 

A  strong  wind  hummed  through  the  sails  and  the 
schooner,  heeling  over  a  little,  went  swiftly  northward, 
leaving  a  long  white  wake.  Ned  and  his  comrades  sat 
on  the  benches  that  ran  around  the  sides  of  the  deck. 
Some  of  the  rich  brown  color  faded  from  the  Panther's 
face,  and  his  eyes  looked  a  little  bit  uneasy. 

"I'm  glad  to  be  here,"  he  said,  "glad  to  be  out  of 
reach  of  the  Mexicans,  but  I  wish  I  was  on  somethin*  a 
lot  steadier  than  this." 

Obed  White,  familiar  with  the  waters  of  the  Maine 
coast,  laughed. 

"This  is  just  a  spanking  good  breeze,"  he  said.  "Look 
how  the  waves  dance!" 

"Let  'em  dance,"  said  the  Panther,  "an'  they  can  do 
my  share  of  dancin',  too.  I  never  felt  less  like  roarin' 
an'  t'arin'  an'  rippin'  in  my  life." 

"Any  way,  we're  getting  a  fine  rest,"  said  Will  Allen. 
"It's  pleasant  to  be  out  here,  where  nobody  can  drop 
suddenly  on  you  from  ambush." 

The  schooner  made  another  curve  to  the  eastward,  the 

351 


352  THE   TEXAN    SCOUTS 

water  became  smoother  and  the  Panther's  qualms  dis- 
appeared. Food  and  water  were  brought  to  them  on 
deck,  and  they  ate  and  drank  with  good  appetites.  Then 
John  Roylston,  who  had  gone  below,  as  soon  as  they 
were  out  of  range,  reappeared.  He  went  directly  to  Ned, 
shook  hands  with  him  with  great  energy,  and  said  in  a 
tone  of  deep  gratitude: 

"I  had  given  you  up  for  lost.  But  you  reappeared  with 
your  friends,  just  in  time  to  save  the  most  valuable  of 
all  cargoes  for  the  Texans.  I  should  like  to  hear  now 
how  you  rose  from  the  dead,  because  I  had  direct  infor- 
mation that  you  were  in  the  Alamo,  and  I  know  that 
everybody  there  perished." 

"I  come,  nevertheless,  as  the  bearer  of  bad  news,"  said 
Ned,  with  Goliad  fresh  in  his  mind. 

"How  is  that?" 

Then  Ned  told  for  the  second  time  the  dreadful  deed 
done  by  order  of  Santa  Anna,  and  it  seemed  to  him  as 
he  told  it  that  all  the  details  were  as  vivid  and  terrible  as 
ever.  His  desire  for  revenge  upon  the  dictator  and  the 
Mexicans  had  not  diminished  a  particle.  Roylston's  face, 
usually  a  mask,  showed  horror. 

"It  was  an  awful  thing  to  do,"  he  said,  "but  it  means 
now  that  Santa  Anna  will  never  conquer  Texas.  No 
man  can  do  such  a  deed  and  yet  triumph.  Now,  tell  me 
how  it  is  that  you  are  not  among  the  slain  in  the  Alamo." 

Ned  related  the  story  anew,  and  he  dwelt  upon  the 
fact  that  Santa  Anna  had  spared  him  at  the  mention  of 
Roylston's  name.  But  when  the  story  was  finished,  the 
merchant  was  silent  for  quite  a  while.  Ned  knew  by  the 
contraction  of  the  lines  upon  the  great  brow  that  he  was 
thinking.  At  last,  he  broke  the  silence. 

"No  doubt  you  have  wondered  that  my  name  had 
so  much  influence  with  Santa  Anna,"  he  said.  "I  have 


THE   CRY   FOR  VENGEANCE  353 

hinted  at  it  before,  but  I  will  explain  more  fully  now.  I 
am,  as  you  know,  a  merchant.  I  trade  throughout  the 
whole  southwest,  and  I  have  ships  in  the  Gulf  and  the 
Caribbean.  One  of  them,  the  'Star  of  the  South,'  on 
which  we  now  are,  can  show  her  heels  to  anything  in 
these  seas. 

"Earlier  in  my  life  I  came  in  contact  with  Antonio 
Lopez  de  Santa  Anna.  Like  many  others  I  fell  for  a 
while  under  his  spell.  I  believed  that  he  was  a  great  and 
liberal  man,  that  he  would  even  be  able  to  pull  Mexico 
out  of  her  slough  of  misrule  and  ignorance.  I  helped 
him  in  some  of  his  young  efforts.  The  splendid  hacienda 
that  he  has  near  Vera  Cruz  was  bought  partly  with 
money  that  I  furnished. 

"But  our  friendship  could  not  last.  Vain,  ruthless, 
cruel,  but  with  genius,  Santa  Anna  can  have  no  friends 
except  those  whom  he  may  use.  Unless  you  submit,  un- 
less you  do  everything  that  he  wishes,  you  are,  in  his 
opinion,  a  traitor  to  him,  a  malefactor  and  an  enemy,  to 
be  crushed  by  trickery  or  force,  by  fair  means  or  foul. 
How  could  I  have  continued  dealings  with  such  a  man? 

"I  soon  saw  that  instead  of  being  Mexico's  best  friend 
he  was  her  worst  enemy.  I  drew  away  in  time,  but 
barely.  I  was  in  Mexico  when  the  break  came,  and  he 
would  have  seized  and  imprisoned  me  or  had  me  shot, 
but  I  escaped  in  disguise. 

"I  retained,  too,  a  hold  upon  Santa  Anna  that  he  has 
sought  in  vain  to  break.  Such  a  man  as  he  always  needs 
money,  not  a  few  thousands,  but  great  sums.  He  has 
been  thrifty.  The  treasury  of  Mexico  has  been  prac- 
tically at  his  mercy,  but  he  does  not  trust  the  banks  of 
his  own  land.  He  has  money  not  only  in  the  foreign 
banks  of  Mexico,  but  also  large  amounts  of  it  in  two  of 
the  great  banks  of  London.  The  English  deposits  stand 


354  THE  TEXAN   SCOUTS 

as  security  for  the  heavy  sums  that  he  owes  me.  His 
arm  is  long,  but  it  does  not  reach  to  London. 

"He  cannot  pay  at  present  without  putting  himself  in 
great  difficulties,  and,  for  the  time  being,  I  wish  the  debt 
to  stand.  It  gives  me  a  certain  power  over  him,  although 
we  are  on  opposite  sides  in  a  fierce  war.  When  you  gave 
him  my  name  in  San  Antonio,  he  did  not  put  you  to 
death  because  he  feared  that  I  would  seize  his  English 
money  when  I  heard  of  it. 

"The  younger  Urrea  has  heard  something  of  these 
debts.  He  is  devoted  to  Santa  Anna,  and  he  knew  that 
he  would  have  rendered  his  chief  an  immense  service  if 
he  could  have  secured  his  release  from  them.  That  was 
what  he  tried  to  force  from  me  when  I  was  in  his  hands, 
but  you  and  your  friends  saved  me.  You  little  thought, 
Edward  Fulton,  that  you  were  then  saving  your  own  life 
also.  Otherwise,  Santa  Anna  would  have  had  you  slain 
instantly  when  you  were  brought  before  him  at  San  An- 
tonio. Ah,  how  thoroughly  I  know  that  man !  That  he 
can  be  a  terrible  and  cruel  enemy  he  has  already  proved 
to  Texas !" 

The  others  listened  with  deep  interest  to  every  word 
spoken  by  Roylston.  When  he  was  through,  the  Panther 
rose,  stretched  his  arms,  and  expanded  his  mighty  chest. 
All  the  natural  brown  had  returned  to  his  cheeks,  and 
his  eyes  sparkled  with  the  fire  of  confidence. 

"Mr.  Roylston,"  he  said,  "the  hosts  of  our  foe  have 
come  an'  they  have  devoured  our  people  as  the  locusts 
ate  up  Egypt  in  the  Bible,  but  I  think  our  worst  days 
have  passed.  We'll  come  back,  an'  we'll  win." 

"Yes,"  said  Ned.  "I  know  as  truly  as  if  a  prophet 
had  told  me  that  we'll  square  accounts  with  Santa 
Anna." 

He  spoke  with  such  sudden  emphasis  that  the  others 


THE   CRY  FOR  VENGEANCE  355 

were  startled.    His  face  seemed  cut  in  stone.    At  that 
moment  he  saw  only  the  Alamo  and  Goliad. 

The  "Star  of  the  South"  sped  northward,  and  Edward 
Fulton  sat  long  on  her  deck,  dreaming  of  the  day  when 
the  Texans,  himself  in  the  first  rank,  should  come  once 
more  face  to  face  with  Antonio  Lopez  de  Santa  Anna. 


(8) 


THE  ENBU 


BY  JOSEPH  A.  ALTSHELER 


The  Texan  Series 

Three  stories  telling  of  tin  Texan  struggle  for  independent  and  the  events  culminat- 
ing in  the  capture  of  the  erratic  Santa  Anna. 

The  Texan  Star 

Ned  Fulton,  the  hero,  is  a  prisoner  in  the  city  of  Mexico.  He 
makes  an  exciting  escape  and  sees  the  capture  of  San  Antonio. 

The  Texan  Scouts 

Ned  Fulton  and  his  friends  are  right  in  the  midst  of  exciting 
events  that  keep  the  reader  continually  on  edge.  The  battle  of  the 
Alamo  is  the  climax  of  the  story. 

The  Texan  Triumph 

The  duel  of  skill  and  courage  between  Ned  and  Urrea,  his  young 
Mexican  enemy,  furnishes  pages  of  excitement.  The  battle  of  San 
Jacinto,  which  secured  Texan  Independence,  and  the  capture  of 
Santa  Anna  by  five  Texans  is  vividly  described. 

The  World  War  Series 

Mr.  Altshtltr,  who  was  in  Vienna  the  day  war  was  declared  on  Servia,  in  Munich 

U'hen  war  was  declared  against  Russia,  and  in  England  when  the  British  forces  were 

mobiliting,  has  given  in  these  three  volumes  the  impressions  he  gained  at  the  places 

of  action  during  the  world  crisis. 

The  Guns  of  Europe 

A  young  American,  unable  to  reach  home,  enlists  with  the  Allies 
where  he  sees  active  service  from  the  beginning.  The  story  closes 
with  the  fierce  fighting  which  preceded  the  retreat  of  the  Germans 
from  Paris. 

The  Forest  of  Swords 

The  hero  finds  himself  in  Paris  with  Phillip  Lannes,  his  friend, 
and  the  Germans  only  fifteen  miles  away.  Finally  the  enemy  is 
turned  back  at  the  Marne,  a  battle  in  which  John  and  Phillip  are 
actively  engaged. 

The  Hosts  of  the  Air 

The  pretty  young  sister  of  Phillip  is  seized  by  the  enemy  and 
carried  into  Austria.  John  resolves  to  get  her  back  and  his  adven- 
tures make  a  wonderfully  exciting  story. 

These  Are  Appleton  Books 
D.    APPLETON     AND     COMPANY,    New    York 

6ioA 


BY  JOSEPH  A.  ALTSHELER 


of  the  French  and 
tral  character* 


The  French  and  Indian  War  Series 

In   this  serin  Mr.  AlUhtler  ha*  endeavored  to  describe  the  event* 
Indian  War,  the  period  in  American  History  from  17S4  to  lift.     Tin 

in  the  ttory  are  Robert  Lennox,  an  American  boy;  Tayoaa.  an  One „ , 

David   Wilict.  a  hunter.      The  book*  art  all  hittorieallv  correct. 

The  Hunters  of  the  Hills 

This  book  begins  the  adventures  of  Robert  Lennox 
and  Tayoga,  the  Indian,  and  tells  of  what  they  do  at 
Quebec. 

The  Shadow  of  the  North 

Robert,  Tayoga  and  David  Willet  are  scouting  in 
the  wilderness,  when  they  learn  that  war  is  declared. 
They  fearlessly  push  on. 

The  Rulers  of  the  Lakes 

After  Braddock's  defeat,  the  young  heroes  start 
north  and  finally  take  part  in  the  Battle  of  Lake  George. 

The  Masters  of  the  Peaks 

Robert  and  his  friends  spoil  the  plans  of  a  spy  and 
take  part  in  a  big  battle  before  the  massacre  at  Fort 
William  Henry. 

The  Lords  of  the  Wild 

Robert  is  captured  and  witnesses  the  defeat  of  the 
British  and  Americans.  He  then  escapes  and,  with 
his  friends,  starts  a  mighty  effort  for  victory. 

The  Sun  of  Quebec 

The  story  narrates  the  adventures  of  Robert  and 
his  friends  during  the  Battle  of  Quebec. 

These  Are  Appleton  Book 

D.    APPLETON    AND     COMPANY,     New    York 


BY  JOSEPH  A.  ALTSHELER 


The  Young  Trailers  Series 

Two  boy*.  Henry  Wort  and  Paul  Cotter,  and  three  scouts  are  ike  chief  character*  in 

these  bookt  dealing  with  frontier  life  and  adventures  with  the  Indians  about  the  time 

of  the  Revolutionary  War.    Each  story  is  complete  in  itself,  f*U  of  excitement,  and 

historically  accurate. 

The  Young  Trailers 

Two  boys  and  their  families  arrive  in  Kentucky  and  build  a 
settlement.  The  settlers  begin  to  have  trouble  with  the  Indians. 

The  Forest  Runners 

The  two  boys  set  out  to  carry  powder  from  one  settlement  to 
another.  The  Indians  get  word  of  it. 

The  Eyes  of  the  Woods 

The  Indians  at  length  determine  to  destroy  the  boys  and  their 
friends.  In  the  struggle  the  boys  call  into  play  all  their  lore  of  the 
woods. 

The  Keepers  of  the  TraU 

In  this  book  the  boys  and  their  comrades  defeat  a  great  Indian 
army  and  save  Kentucky  from  invasion. 

The  Free  Rangers 

Five  of  the  settlers  journey  down  the  Mississippi  to  urge  the 
Spanish  Governor-General  not  to  join  the  Indians  in  fighting. 

The  Riflemen  of  the  Ohio 

The  band  of  five  settlers  act  as  scouts  for  a  great  fleet  coming  up 
the  Mississippi  with  supplies  for  the  Revolutionists  at  Pittsburg. 

The  Scouts  of  the  Valley 

The  two  boys  go  into  Pennsylvania  to  help  the  settlers  there  fight 
the  Iroquois.  They  are  active  in  several  battles. 

The  Border  Watch 

Lea 
is  bein) 
Rogers 


Learning  that  another  expedition  against  the  settlers  in  Kentucky 
is  being  prepared,  the  boys  join  the  famous  fighters  under  George 
Rogers  OarkT 


These  Are  Appleton  Books 


D.    APPLETON    AND     COMPANY,    New   York 

606  A 


BY  JOSEPH  A.  ALTSHELER 


The  Civil  War  Series 

In  this  series  of  stories  Mr.  Altsheler  covers  the  principal  battles  of  the  Civil  War. 

In  four  of  the  volumes  Dick  Mason,  who  fights  for  the  North,  is  the  leading  character, 

and  in  the  others,  his  cousin,  Harry  Kent  on,  who  joins  the  Confederate  forces,  takes 

the  principal  part. 

The  Guns  of  Bull  Run 

Harry  Kenton  follows  the  lead  of  his  father  and  joins  the  Southern 
forces.  His  cousin,  Dick  Mason,  the  hero,  fights  with  the  North. 

The  Guns  of  Shiloh 

Dick  takes  part  in  the  battle  of  Mill  Spring,  is  captured  but  es- 
capes. The  story  gives  a  vivid  account  of  the  first  defeat  of  the  South. 

The  Scouts  of  Stonewall 

Harry  and  some  friends  become  aides  of  Stonewall  Jackson. 
They  follow  him  through  the  campaign  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia. 

The  Sword  of  Antietam 

After  engaging  in  the  Battle  of  Shiloh,  Dick  gets  into  three  big 
fights.  Antietam  is  the  big  battle  described,  with  McClellan  always 
in  the  foreground. 

The  Star  of  Gettysburg 

In  this  book  Harry  and  his  friends  take  part  in  the  battles  of 
Fredericksburg,  The  Wilderness  and  finally  Gettysburg.  General 
Lee  is  a  central  figure. 

The  Rock  of  Chickamauga 

This  volume  deals  with  the  crisis  of  the  Union  during  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg  and  the  Battle  of  Chickamauga .  Dick  takes  an  active  part . 

The  Shades  of  the  Wilderness 

The  story  opens  with  Lee's  retreat  after  Gettysburg.  Harry  is 
sent  to  Richmond  and  becomes  involved  in  a  dangerous  situation 
with  a  spy. 

The  Tree  of  Appomattox 

This  description  of  the  Battle  of  Appomattox  has  been  written  from 
the  account  01  an  eyewitness.  Dick  plays  an  important  part.  The 
volume  doses  with  the  blue  and  the  gray  turning  toward  a  new  day. 

These  Are  Appleton  Books 

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